Sweet Sautéed Spinach

Sweet Sautéed Spinach

Fresh, raw greens are the most nutritious foods we can eat as they provide great antioxidants and include many important nutrients that nourish our bodies and prevent illness. They should be included in everyone’s daily diet, but it’s sometimes hard to find variety with how we eat them. Sure, salads are easy to throw together, but it’s not the only way to enjoy greens. Try sautéing spinach to add variety to your dinner plate and increase your intake of this nutrient-dense food. In this recipe, we’ll use walnuts, raisins and garlic to add depth and flavor to the spinach. Don’t have these in your pantry? Try substituting pine nuts or slivered almonds for the nuts and cranberries or currents for the pop of sweetness. This recipe comes together in minutes and is ideal for using up spinach or other greens in your fridge.

Sweet Sautéed Spinach

Spinach is a versatile green. The tender leaf is ideal for salads but can become a delicious savory warm side dish. Pairing this green with walnuts and raisins creates a delicious sweet umami flavor that complements any hearty meal. 

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD

Time: 8-10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, whole but crushed

1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

¼ cup raw walnuts

2 Tablespoons raisins

6 cups spinach (5 ounce package), washed and dried

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.    Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or pot. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, walnuts and raisins. Sauté this mixture until the walnuts start to toast, the raisins plum and the garlic becomes soft, about 2-3 minutes 

2.    Add the spinach to the pan. Gently toss the leaves periodically until the greens are soft and wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. 

3.    Serve warm. 

Eating to Better Health

Can your fork really work for you? In my cooking classes, people often ask me what they should eat to help them feel better or improve their health. The answer is as complex as you are. It really is different for everyone. Indeed, your fork is one of the most powerful tools you have to improve your health. Every food you put on it is a piece of information that can alter your body chemistry for better or worse. Where do you start? Don't let food get in your way of feeling your best. Here are 10 tips below that you can implement today. If you have specific illnesses or health challenges, please contact me to set an appointment and we can work on a personalized plan together. 

1: Prepare food at home. Meals prepared at home have fewer calories, less fat and less sugar compared with convenience foods or those in restaurants. Invest in a grill pan and stock your pantry with olive oil and spices. Be patient with yourself - any lifestyle change requires creativity and perseverance. Use available resources like healthy cooking classes, library books and online meal planning tools to help learn this new skill. Don’t forget to start simple.

2: Eat more Plants. Pay the farmer now or the pharmacist later. Numerous studies link vegetable and fruit consumption to longevity. Some studies even show eating 5 servings of veggies daily can add as much as 3 years to your life. Eating more plants is associated with decreased inflammation and chronic disease. 

3: Eat the Rainbow. The different colors found in the plant kingdom represent different beneficial antioxidants and nutrients. Eat a rainbow of veggies and fruits to take advantage of all mother nature has to offer. Consider counting color rather than calories. Variety is the spice of life and may also prolong it.

4:  Eat the 4 S’s. Soups, Salads, Smoothies and Stir Fries are great ways to increase servings of veggies in your diet.

5: Beware the Liquid Calorie. Our brain and appetites do a poor job accounting for the calories we drink. It is best to drink water and other non-caloric, unsweetened beverages.

6: Eat Living Foods. Trillions of bacteria live in our gut. These bacteria help us absorb nutrients, ward off infection, produce vitamins, and help regulate our immune system. We need to tend this inner garden to keep it healthy. This means eating foods rich in fiber and consuming fermented foods like sauerkraut. Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, pesticides and additives also help keep these bacteria healthy.

7:  Fiber is our Friend. Counting grams of fiber is a good measure for plant consumption. Fiber feeds our "good gut bacteria," it helps us feel full, it prevents constipation and can help lower our risk of cancer and inflammation. Make your goal 25 grams per day if you are a woman and 38 grams per day if you are a man.

8: Choose protein with fewer legs. Both a whole-food, plant-based diet and the Mediterranean diet show dramatic reduction in cardiovascular disease and cancer risk. These diets prioritize plant proteins from legumes, nuts and seeds. The Mediterranean diet includes moderate seafood consumption and minimizes or eliminates red meat.

9: Understand Fats. Fat is not to be feared. It is an integral part of our cell membrane and the building blocks of our hormones. Include “good fats" like those found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds and fish. Minimize your consumption of saturated fats and trans-fats (hydrogenated oil). These are found in red meats, whole fat dairy and highly processed foods.

10: Genes are not your destiny. Changing your lifestyle and diet can change how your genes behave. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly and practicing stress reduction can turn off genes associated with inflammation and cancer.