Spinach is a leafy green vegetable with dark green leaves that people eat raw in salads or cooked in countless dishes. The leaves grow in bunches close to the ground, and when you harvest spinach, you cut the whole plant near its base.

Spinach originally came from Persia (modern-day Iran) over 2,000 years ago and eventually spread around the world. It grows best in cool weather, which is why farmers often plant it in early spring or fall. When you cook spinach, something surprising happens: a huge pile of fresh leaves shrinks down to almost nothing because the leaves contain so much water.

The vegetable became famous in America partly because of Popeye the Sailor Man, a cartoon character who ate canned spinach to gain instant strength. While spinach won't actually make your muscles bulge like Popeye's, it does contain iron and vitamins that help keep your body healthy. Many kids find they dislike spinach at first but grow to enjoy it later, especially when it's cooked with garlic or mixed into dishes like lasagna or omelets. Fresh spinach tastes milder and less bitter than the cooked version, which is why it works well in salads.