Early in the 20th century a food researcher on the nutritional value of different foods entered a decimal in the wrong place for spinach – making it appear to have 10x its actual iron content. BOOM it was declared a super food (or it would have been if the term super food had been invented yet). It entered popular culture through Popeye (and grateful spinach growers erected a statue to him).
The error was discovered and corrected years later, but remains alive in popular culture. My mother remained a true believer and I had to endure a lot of spinach growing up. Thankfully, not the canned version.
From an article by John Masko in The Wall Street Journal: The firm Dandelion Chocolate provided the warning required by California regulators announcing that their product might contain cadmium, and then added:
“Cadmium is a naturally-occurring component in soil, and many plants take it up as they absorb nutrients, which is how it gets into our cocoa beans. According to the CDC, cadmium is commonly found in vegetables, and in relatively high concentrations in leafy greens like spinach. The law won’t allow us to say much more about how the tiny trace amounts in our product will affect your health, but if you want to reduce your exposure to cadmium generally, you might consider eating fewer leafy greens.”
I love spinach, and yes, even canned spinach, but I’d retch too if I dropped a whole can into my mouth …….. to say nothing about eating it at room temperature …yuck!
I used to like the way my mother would add bacon and scramble an egg in canned spinach, but now I cannot stomach it. Instead I buy 3 18oz containers of fresh spinach a week instead.
Ivy Valory Premium Member 7 months ago
Really … canned spinach. What a shameful thing to do to spinach. Just the color. Homolka.
doctorwho29 7 months ago
I also think canned spinach is nasty. It’s ok on lead form though
maureenmck Premium Member 7 months ago
Kevin has been watching the Popeye cartoons on TV.
mccollunsky 7 months ago
He did try his vegetables, at least?
diazch408 7 months ago
Just like me when I first had spinach. It tastes better raw or in a dip(Spinach and artichoke dip, a popular appetizer nowadays).
danketaz Premium Member 7 months ago
Popeye makes it look so easy.
Black76Manta 7 months ago
Come on, don’t exaggerate, it’s not that bad
nancyb creator 7 months ago
Ack ack ack ack ack!
LawrenceS 7 months ago
Early in the 20th century a food researcher on the nutritional value of different foods entered a decimal in the wrong place for spinach – making it appear to have 10x its actual iron content. BOOM it was declared a super food (or it would have been if the term super food had been invented yet). It entered popular culture through Popeye (and grateful spinach growers erected a statue to him).
The error was discovered and corrected years later, but remains alive in popular culture. My mother remained a true believer and I had to endure a lot of spinach growing up. Thankfully, not the canned version.
Ellis97 7 months ago
Uh Kevin, maybe next time you should actually cook the spinach and chew it instead of guzzling it all down like Popeye.
Kilrwat Premium Member 7 months ago
All that iron may have the opposite effect…
SquidGamerGal 7 months ago
Here’s a surprise for you, kid… Real life ain’t like the cartoons or the movies!
well-i-never 7 months ago
Oxalates can give you kidney stones. Spinach is one of the worst for concentrations. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
jehelatygr Premium Member 7 months ago
Popeye could fool the parents, but not (most of) the kids. Yuck.
Znox11 7 months ago
Show of hands…Be honest…Who actually tried this?
Barnabus Blackoak 7 months ago
canned? yuck. My wife , when ordering a sandwich at delis, would replace lettuce with raw baby spinach leaves. She loved it.
prrdh 7 months ago
From an article by John Masko in The Wall Street Journal: The firm Dandelion Chocolate provided the warning required by California regulators announcing that their product might contain cadmium, and then added:
“Cadmium is a naturally-occurring component in soil, and many plants take it up as they absorb nutrients, which is how it gets into our cocoa beans. According to the CDC, cadmium is commonly found in vegetables, and in relatively high concentrations in leafy greens like spinach. The law won’t allow us to say much more about how the tiny trace amounts in our product will affect your health, but if you want to reduce your exposure to cadmium generally, you might consider eating fewer leafy greens.”
Ida No 7 months ago
Hang in there, Kevin. Maybe there’s radioactive spiders in with that spinach.
AlnicoV 7 months ago
So this is what you have to do to get him to try to eat something healthy.
tammyspeakslife Premium Member 7 months ago
Everyone is focussing on the spinach. I believe the real issue here is that siblings do not care how you feel if it is affecting them.
Teto85 Premium Member 7 months ago
That was me. Still can’t eat it except in leafy salads.
Can't Sleep 7 months ago
Popeye would tell him: “Yer a amateurk! Yez dazn’t throw back a whole can at oncek! Yer too little ta chug-a-lug a whole can!”
6turtle9 7 months ago
I Yam what I yam, and that’s all that I yam. Right now I yam praying to the porcelain god.
bookworm0812 7 months ago
Barfing into the toilet isn’t “hogging,” Krystal. Even if it’s his own fault. You can’t keep stuff from coming up. Believe me, I’ve tried.
The-Great-Gildersleeve 7 months ago
I love spinach, and yes, even canned spinach, but I’d retch too if I dropped a whole can into my mouth …….. to say nothing about eating it at room temperature …yuck!
baraktorvan 7 months ago
I used to like the way my mother would add bacon and scramble an egg in canned spinach, but now I cannot stomach it. Instead I buy 3 18oz containers of fresh spinach a week instead.
Nunya Biznez 7 months ago
How many people have actually watched Popeye?