National Spinach Day

Besides Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, March 26 is National Spinach Day. Whether you are a fan or, well, not so much, today is the perfect time to indulge in the healthy veggie many kids love to hate.

High in iron and low in calories, spinach is a great source of fiber, protein, calcium and vitamin A, C and K. Spinach not only helps improve cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health, but is loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants too. It’s also great for your vision, brain and skin and may fight thosepesky wrinkles!

Popeye would be the first to tell you that his love of spinach is responsible for the famous Sailor Man’s bulging muscles that helped keep gal pal Olive Oyl around for decades! His fondness for the green stuff was also responsible for a 33 percent increase in spinach consumption in the United States back in the 30s!

This versatile veggie can be served in salads, soups, dips and main dishes and can be eaten raw or cooked. In honor of National Spinach Day, why not whip up a few of the following recipes and watch those “guns” start to grow!