Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Apple-Cider Vinaigrette

According to  How Stuff Works:  Spinach and other dark leafy greens like kale, collards, Swiss chard, turnip greens and bok choy are loaded with calcium, folic acid, vitamin K and iron.

Spinach is also rich in vitamin C, fiber and carotenoids. Add its lutein and bioflavanoids and spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. The calcium content in spinach and the other dark leafy greens mentioned above strengthens bones.

The A and C vitamins in spinach plus the fiber, folic acid, magnesium and other nutrients help control cancer, especially colon, lung and breast cancers. Folate also lowers the blood levels of something called homocysteine, a protein that damages arteries. So spinach also helps protect against heart disease.  The flavonoids in spinach help protect against age related memory loss.

Spinach's secret weapon, lutein, makes it one of the best foods in the world to prevent cataracts, as well as age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the elderly. Foods rich in lutein are also thought to help prevent cancer.

There are many variation of spinach salad but this is one of my favorites.

Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

8 cups baby spinach leaves, washed

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Place spinach in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette to coat. Top with walnuts and goat cheese and serve.

Apple-Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic Apple-Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons Italian Herbs (dried and pre-mixed)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake.  This recipe does not have to be refrigerated.