Today is National Spinach Day! On this date, March 26th, in 1937, spinach growers in Crystal City, Texas erected a statue of spinach-loving Popeye to celebrate the staple crop of the local economy. Here at F-Factor we love spinach; it’s loaded with fiber and nutrients, but instead of erecting a statue in honor of the leafy veg, we wanted to share a recipe with you.

One amazing thing about spinach is its versatility. It can be used as a base for salads, thrown in any dish, or simply enjoyed steamed. In this recipe, we’ve used spinach with a little bit of egg white to make for a lightened up, protein-packed version of this Mexican favorite. Serve with salsa and Greek yogurt for a healthier low-fat appetizer or quick and easy light dinner.

Ingredients
Quesadillas
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 egg whites, beaten
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 low-carbohydrate whole wheat tortillas (8-inch diameter)

Toppings
6 ounces non-fat Greek yogurt
1 cup salsa

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a large non-stick skillet sauté the onions in the olive oil. Add the egg whites and scramble until no longer runny.
3. Remove from heat and stir in spinach and salsa.
4. To assemble the tortillas, layer a sixth of the spinach egg mixture on half of each tortilla. Sprinkle with about 1 spoonful of cheese and fold in half.
5. Transfer the tortillas to a large cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350° F for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Alternatively, to cook one at a time, you can grill the quesadillas in an ungreased pan over medium heat for 2 minutes and then flip and continue cooking on the other side for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Serve topped with Greek yogurt and salsa.

Serves: 6

Nutrition Content (per serving):
198 calories, 6g fat, 3g saturated fat, 21g carbohydrates, 5g sugars, 8g fiber, 17g protein, 854 mg sodium, 385 mg potassium, 270 mg calcium