Today is National Spinach Day! We love this leafy green, nutrient-packed veggie. And, it’s so versatile that it’s almost impossible not to incorporate it into your diet.

5. It’s full of vitamins

Spinach, along with most leafy green vegetables, are high in vitamin K. One cup of cooked spinach contains 740% of our daily value of vitamin K. We need vitamin K in our diet because it is essential in bone health and wound healing due to it being a blood-clotting agent.

Spinach also contains vitamins B12, B6, B9, E, and C.

4. It’s high in magnesium

Spinach is one of the best sources of magnesium in our diets. One cup of cooked spinach contains around 156 mg of magnesium, contributing about half of our daily average of 320-400 mg. We need magnesium in our diets because it helps protect our body against diet-related illnesses, lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation, and more.

Along with magnesium, spinach also contains calcium, iron, potassium, and folate.

3. It’s a nootropic food

Nootropics are known for their “brainpower” effects, helping users think better and improve their memory. Spinach is a great nootropic food because it contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which helps with faster mental recall and increased memory. Also, because of its dense nutrient-compound, spinach can even enhance athletic ability.

One cup of cooked spinach a day is enough to see these nootropic benefits.

2. It’s an integral part of the MIND diet

Spinach is loaded with fat-soluble vitamins and phytonutrients, vital for making sphingolipids. Sphingolipids are a type of fat found in brain cells. The beta carotenes, folate, and vitamin K in spinach promote cell growth by helping make up brain cells’ membranes.

1. You can add it to almost any dish!

One of the reasons we love spinach the most is because you can add it to so many different recipes. Spinach is great in smoothies, eggs, pasta, rice, and more. You can eat it as a salad, a side, an appetizer, or in the main dish. The possibilities are endless with this nutrient-dense superfood.

If you’re looking for spinach recipe ideas, here are a few of our favorites:

• Lemon Pappardelle Pasta with Chicken and Spinach
• Scrambled Eggs with Spinach
• Veggie Bowls
• Spinach Pasta
• Healthy Breakfast Wrap
• “Clean out the Kitchen” Quiche
• Strawberry Summer Salad