The cartoon character Popeye famously relied on spinach for his strength and stamina. Allegedly it was the iron content in this green leafy vegetable that provided him with superhuman powers to combat the forces of evil.
However, to retain his peak fitness levels, Popeye would almost certainly have had to consume a regular portion of lean red meat as well. There’s no doubt spinach has great nutritional value; but to get our recommended intake of iron just from spinach, we’d be needing upwards of half a kilo a day. There wouldn’t be much room on the plate for anything else.
