We know: Our dishes are actually good enough on their own and have what you need. They provide you with all the nutrients you need, score with organic quality and support an active lifestyle.

Nevertheless, we also need a little change from time to time. As good as our lentil stew , chilli , curry dishes ... are - if we eat them every day, a tasty extra comes in handy. And if that also comes up with calcium, magnesium and few calories: all the better!

Be like Popeye

When we think of spinach, we think of the strong sailor with big biceps. But not only Popeye, you can use spinach too.

What we colloquially refer to as spinach is usually called "real spinach", "vegetable spinach" or " spinacia oleracea". The vegetables are available either fresh or frozen. If the root of fresh spinach is still there, it was harvested by machine. If, on the other hand, it is loose leaves, it was done by hand. In terms of quality, it makes no difference.

What can spinach do?

Even if you don't like hearing it: Spinach alone won't make you as strong as Popeye. Although it contains a plant-based steroid (ecdysterone), which, according to a study , ensures greater muscle growth - to get the amount of ecdysterone that helped test subjects to grow muscles, you would have to eat between two and four kilos of spinach leaves per day take.

Nevertheless, spinach still has some advantages, starting with its low calorie density: there are only 20 calories per 100g of the vegetable. Another reason why spinach is a great addition to the next lentil stew.

Although spinach consists of a whopping 91% water, it contains valuable vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin C supports your immune function, iron is important for blood formation and prevents tiredness and calcium strengthens the bones. Spinach also contains folic acid. It supports tissue growth, which should not be neglected, especially in pregnant women.

If you have problems with your eyes, it can't hurt to use green vegetables either. Because lutein and zeaxanthin are also real insider tips: the carotenoids protect the eyes from damage caused by the sun.

How to prepare spinach

There are several ways to prepare spinach. You simply prepare frozen spinach according to the package instructions. Fresh spinach can be either boiled, fried, or blanched. Of course you can also just eat it raw - but then it should be young baby lettuce and not winter lettuce, as the latter is quite bitter.

• Cooking spinach: Cut an onion into small cubes and sauté them in a saucepan with a little butter. Add the spinach, close the lid and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Fry the spinach: Heat oil in a pan, optionally add onions and some pepper. Then add the spinach and heat until it wilts.
• Blanch spinach: Boil water in a pot, add spinach and let it cook for about 3 minutes. When the leaves have shriveled, it's done blanching. Finally, quench the leaves with ice water.

No matter which method of preparation you choose: try to use up the spinach as quickly as possible. If it is stored for too long, nitrate converts into toxic nitrite, which in the worst case can inhibit oxygen uptake.

Löwenanteil + spinach = perfect match!

What do our dishes and spinach have in common? Both are prepared in under 5 minutes! So you can microwave your favorite Löwenanteil dish while you sauté the spinach. Or do you put it directly, unprocessed, on your lenses à la Provence ? The aromatic bean stew also harmonizes perfectly with the mild taste of spinach...

As you can see, the vegetables are perfect as a delicious, vitamin-rich extra for any dish. Your imagination knows no boundaries!