If you have ever watched Popeye the sailor man, you must have seen the amazing effect of spinach on Popeye’s muscle power and strength. Spinach really deserves to be labeled a super food because of its contents that work wonders on our bodies. Spinach is a green, leafy vegetable full of iron, beta carotene, and other minerals and vitamins. People get confused when they see the regular spinach and another variety being labeled baby spinach in the market as they do not know the difference. Let us find out if there is any nutritional difference between the two varieties.
Baby Spinach
One of the first green vegetables to come in the market in spring, there are today several varieties of spinach arriving in the market that are enough to confuse common people. One of these varieties is baby spinach, which has become increasingly popular because of its sweeter flavor and delicate leaves that are tender and almost perfect for a spinach salad. One should not think of Baby Spinach as any bio-engineered variety of spinach. It is basically the same spinach, but it is harvested at an early stage of the plant growth. While baby spinach is plucked between 15-20 days of plant growth, adult spinach, or spinach that we know is plucked 45-60 days after planting. Baby spinach is usually available fresh in grocery stores, and we get attracted because of smaller leaves that are in the shape of a spade.
As far as nutritional values are concerned, there have been contradicting studies with some claiming baby spinach to have higher concentrations of vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids while others coming out with just the opposite results. As such, it is difficult to say with certainty if there is any difference between Baby spinach and spinach as far as nutrients are concerned.
Spinach
Flat leaf variety of spinach, normally called spinach, is available in the market in bunches with soil still attached to the leaves as it grows very close to the ground. Make sure to clean the bunch properly to remove all the soil but do not soak in water for a long time as it tends to lose some of its nutritional values. The leaves of this plant are dark green in color and bitter in taste than baby spinach. However, it has more fiber; and thus, chewier than baby spinach.
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What is the difference between Baby Spinach and Spinach? • Strictly speaking, the only difference between baby spinach ad spinach is the difference between shape and size. This is because the leaves are plucked at an early stage in the case of baby spinach while they are plucked much later in case of regular spinach • The leaves of baby spinach are tender and make for a great salad whereas leaves of regular spinach are chewier and make for a complimentary meal. • There is no difference in nutritional values of baby spinach and regular spinach with different studies producing contradicting results.
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