General information:
From Wikipedia: “Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an edible flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae native to central and western Asia.
It is an annual plant (rarely biennial), which grows up to 30 cm tall. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions. The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to triangular, and very variable in size from about 2–30 cm long and 1–15 cm broad, with larger leaves at the base of the plant and small leaves higher on the flowering stem. The flowers are inconspicuous, yellow-green, 3–4 mm in diameter, maturing into a small, hard, dry, lumpy fruit cluster 5–10 mm across containing several seeds.”
Raw spinach, oxalic acid, iron, and calcium:
“Raw spinach contains oxalic acid, but the amount is dependent on various factors such as the age of the leaves. Younger leaves, for example, contain less oxalate. Oxalic acid can be harmful to your health; however, it breaks down into water, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide at temperatures over 150°C. This is because certain minerals such as calcium form large complexes that are not readily soluble, and this makes it difficult for them to be absorbed into the bloodstream via the intestine. In addition, oxalic acid damages tooth enamel and in larger quantities can also be one cause of kidney stones. However, eating foods that contain oxalic acid does not pose a risk to your health, as long as you eat them in moderation. As a comparison, the lethal dose of oxalate consumed orally is 600 mg per kg of body weight, which is equal to about 4.5 kg of raw spinach for someone who weighs 60 kg (132 lbs).*”
“Spinach, along with other green, leafy vegetables, contains an appreciable amount of iron, attaining 21% of the Daily Value in a 100-g amount of raw spinach. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture states that a 100-g serving of cooked spinach contains 3.57 mg of iron, whereas a 100-g ground hamburger patty contains 2.49 mg. However, spinach contains iron absorption-inhibiting substances, including high levels of oxalate, which can bind to the iron to form ferrous oxalate and render much of the iron in spinach unusable by the body. In addition to preventing absorption and use, high levels of oxalates remove iron from the body.
Spinach also has a moderate calcium content which can be affected by oxalates, decreasing its absorption. The calcium in spinach is among the least bioavailable of food calcium sources. By way of comparison, the human body can absorb about half of the calcium present in broccoli, yet only around 5% of the calcium in spinach.”
Types of spinach:
“The three basic types of spinach are:
- 'Savoy' has dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. It is the type sold in fresh bunches in most supermarkets in the United States. ...
- Flat- or smooth-leaf spinach has broad, smooth leaves that are easier to clean than 'Savoy'. This type is often grown for canned and frozen spinach, as well as soups, baby foods, and processed foods. 'Giant Noble' is an example variety.
- Semi-savoy is a hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as 'Savoy', but it is not as difficult to clean. It is grown for both fresh market and processing. 'Tyee Hybrid' is a common semi-savoy.”
Nutritional value:
“In a 100-g serving providing only 23 calories, spinach has a high nutritional value, especially when fresh, frozen, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, iron and folate. Spinach is a good source (10-19% of DV) of the B vitamins riboflavin and vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber.”
Interesting facts:
“Spinach is often used to counteract bloating ..., and the seeds work as a laxative. ... Experiments have shown that spinach has hypoglycaemic properties. For more information, see Frozen chopped or leaf spinach.*”
Note (italics): * = Translation from a German Wikipedia entry
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Energy | 23 kcal 96 kJ | 1.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal |
Fat/Lipids | 0.39 g | 0.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g |
Saturated Fats | 0.06 g | 0.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 3.6 g | 1.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g |
Sugars | 0.42 g | 0.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 90g |
Fiber | 2.2 g | 8.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g |
Protein/Albumin | 2.9 g | 5.7% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g |
Cooking Salt (Na:79.0 mg) | 201 mg | 8.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Vit | Vitamin K | 483 µg | 644.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 75 µg |
Vit | Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 194 µg | 97.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Vit | Vitamin A, as RAE | 469 µg | 59.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Min | Manganese, Mn | 0.90 mg | 45.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Vit | Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 28 mg | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Elem | Potassium, K | 558 mg | 28.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Elem | Magnesium, Mg | 79 mg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Min | Iron, Fe | 2.7 mg | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Vit | Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 2.0 mg | 17.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Prot | Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.04 g | 16.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential fatty acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.14 g | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 0.03 g | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.04 g | 16.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.12 g | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.15 g | 12.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.16 g | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.22 g | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.17 g | 9.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.13 g | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.05 g | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Vitamin K | 483 µg | 644.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 75 µg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 194 µg | 97.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 469 µg | 59.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 28 mg | 35.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 2.0 mg | 17.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.19 mg | 14.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.20 mg | 14.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Biotin (ex vitamin B7, H) | 7.0 µg | 14.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 50 µg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.08 mg | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 0.72 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.06 mg | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Potassium, K | 558 mg | 28.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 79 mg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 99 mg | 12.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 79 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Phosphorus, P | 49 mg | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Manganese, Mn | 0.90 mg | 45.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Iron, Fe | 2.7 mg | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Copper, Cu | 0.13 mg | 13.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Iod, I (Jod, J) | 12 µg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 150 µg |
Zinc, Zn | 0.53 mg | 5.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Selenium, Se | 1.0 µg | 2.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
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