Spinach

Choose spinach that is vibrant green in colour. The leaves should be firm with no bruises or tears and not have a slimy feel to them.

Store spinach leaves in the fridge and eat as soon as possible for optimal freshness and nutritional value.

Cook spinach very quickly in order to just wilt the leaves. Over cooking it will result in grey leaves with a bitter taste.

Health: Spinach offers a bumper crop of 9 different vitamins, more than in most multi-vitamin pills! It's also rich in magnesium, which helps to prevent diabetes before it onsets in your body.

The fibre is great for getting rid of intestinal parasites, constipation and preventing colon cancer. It also prevents absorption of bad cholesterol. 

Did you know: Popeye's creators chose spinach because of an 1870 German study that claimed spinach contained about as much iron as there is in red meat.  In reality, the scientists put the decimal point in the wrong place and the iron content of spinach is actually one-tenth of what was reported. Ensure you absorb it by combining spinach with an acid, such as a splash of lemon juice.