Popeye should have eaten more meat

Spinach. Chock full of iron and great for building big muscles, right? Well... sorta, kinda. Spinach is a fairly good source of iron but there are a couple factors that make it a less than stellar choice for those wanting to boost their iron intake:

1. Spinach contains non-heme iron, a form that is less easily absorbed by the body than its counterpart, heme iron. The former is prevalent in vegetables and related products whereas the latter is found in animal products.

2. To add insult to injury, spinach also contains oxalic acid, which binds with iron and inhibits its absorption into the body.

So, if you love spinach like I do and want to continue eating it, take heart. The following foods help boost iron absorption, so enjoy your spinach with one or more of the following and you'll be fine:

• Meat, fish, or poultry
• Fruits: Orange, Orange Juice, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapefruit and other Vitamin-C rich fruits
• Vegetables: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, tomato, tomato juice, potato, green & red peppers
• White wine

Local spinach is a few months off yet (generally in season from May to October, according to Foodland Ontario. So for now, consider this food for thought.