The Easiest Spinach Hack + Delicious Recipes Your Kids Will Love!
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Time to Read: 6 min
Why Spinach? The Health Benefits are real.
Spinach is packed with nutrients that help your child grow and stay healthy:
- Strong bones: Thanks to calcium and vitamin K.
- More energy: Iron helps keep their blood healthy and prevents tiredness.
- Boosts immunity: Vitamins C and A help fight off sickness.
- Aids digestion: Spinach’s fiber supports a healthy gut.
- Supports vision and brain health: Vitamin A and other nutrients help protect their eyes and brain development.
About Ahimsa
Founded by a pediatrician and mom of three
Stainless steel is the only kid-friendly material recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics
We are guided by a Scientific Advisory Council comprised of environmental and medical experts, guiding us in creating the safest products, following the latest science and promoting policy to protect human health and our planet
Want to know more? Check out our story and our products.
How Much Should They Eat?
Experts recommend 2-3 servings of spinach per week for kids. A serving is 1/2 cup raw or 1/4 cup cooked for younger kids and 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked for older children.
To make serving more fun (and less stressful), why not use a stainless steel compartment plate? Each section can hold a perfectly portioned serving, keeping the spinach away from the mac and cheese—so no complaints about mixing.
Must Have Stainless Steel Products
Four Easy, Flavorful Spinach Recipes Using Frozen Spinach
1. Spinach and Grape Smoothie 🍇🥤
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5
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Drink
- Mom Hack: Grab a handful of freshly frozen spinach and add to the blender.
- Ingredients: 1/2 cup frozen spinach, 1 banana, 1/2 cup grapes, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1/2 cup yogurt, splash of oatmilk.
- Instructions: Blend everything for a sweet, nutrient-packed smoothie. Add water as needed to make it the consistency your child will drink 😉
Serve it up in an Ahimsa Conscious Cup, our kids stainless steel cup. Trust me, once they see those bright colors, they’ll be curious enough to give it a try.
2. Cheesy Spinach and Herb Quesadilla🌮🧀
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15
Snack
- Mom Hack: Use frozen spinach, crush it (no chopping!) and sauté with a sprinkle of cumin and garlic powder for flavor.
- Ingredients: 1/2 cup crushed frozen spinach, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, 1 tortilla, a sprinkle of cumin and garlic powder.
- Instructions: Heat up a teaspoon of oil on a pain and sprinkle some cumin to roast. Nice slightly brown and aromas are released, crush ½ cup spinach and sauté in pan. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add it to a tortilla with cheese. Cook until crispy!
You can serve these quesadillas on a five-compartment plate, where each crispy triangle gets its own cozy spot—perfect for keeping things neat. You can stash some salsa in one section, maybe a dollop of guacamole or avocado slices in another, and hey, no more runaway spinach sneaking into places it shouldn’t be. Everything stays in its lane, making the whole thing way easier to enjoy.
3. Spinach Egg Muffins with Herbs 🧁🥚
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Breakfast
- Mom Hack: Take crushed frozen spinach and mix directly into the egg batter—no extra prep!
- Ingredients: 1/2 cup crushed frozen spinach, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, a pinch of oregano and pepper and salt.
- Instructions: Mix spinach, eggs, cheese, and seasonings, then pour into muffin tins. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. These muffins are perfect for breakfast on the go!
I like to keep these in a stainless steel container for the week. They’re always good to go when you need a quick snack at home or on the way to after-school activities, or even a quick breakfast on the fly where everyone is running behind. They’ll stay fresh, and cleanup? Super easy!
4. Spinach Pesto Pasta with Garlic & Basil 🍝🍃
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15
- Mom Hack: Frozen spinach works perfectly for pesto—just crush it and blend!
- Ingredients: 1 cup crushed frozen spinach, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup parmesan, 1 clove garlic, fresh basil, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Instructions: Blend everything together to make a quick, delicious sauce that’s loaded with nutrients.
Serve this pasta on a rainbow steel plate—the bright colors instantly make mealtime more fun! Plus, the sturdy, non-toxic material keeps things safe and makes cleanup way easier.
Using frozen spinach might just be the simplest effortlessly easy way to add a boost of nutrition to your kids’ meals—no chopping, no mess! And with the right utensils, like compartment plates or rainbow steel bowls and cups, mealtime becomes fun, stress free, and healthy. It’s a total win-win for both parents and kids.
Looking for more healthy, kid-friendly recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly tips, recipes, and wellness guides! Let’s make healthy living fun and delicious.
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician whose dedication to children’s health drove her to launch Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids. She was motivated by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings on harmful chemicals in plastic affecting children's well-being. Ahimsa has gained widespread recognition and been featured in media outlets such as Parents Magazine, the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Dr. Mantravadi received the esteemed “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019. She was also named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur in 2021, with her inspiring story showcased on Good Morning America. She serves on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Council for School Health at The American Academy of Pediatrics. She represents Ahimsa as a U.S. industry stakeholder on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, led by the United Nations Environment Program. Dr. Mantravadi leads Ahimsa's social impact program, The Conscious Cafeteria Project, to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard student health as part of a national pilot of the Clinton Global Initiative.
She is dedicated to educating and empowering people to make healthier, more environmentally friendly choices at mealtime. Her mission remains to advocate for the health of all children and the one planet we will leave behind for them through real policy change within our food system.
Snacktime Essentials
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use stainless steel instead of plastic? Is stainless steel better for health?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a report in July 2018 suggesting ways that families can limit exposure to certain chemicals at mealtime, including “the use of alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible.” The report explained that “…some additives are put directly in foods, while “indirect” additives may include chemicals from plastic, glues, dyes, paper, cardboard”. Further, “Children are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do, and are still growing and developing.” While stainless steel items meet the recommendation to avoid plastic products in children, Ahimsa® products have the obvious advantage of not breaking like glass.
Is stainless steel better for the environment than plastic?
According to the Steel Recycling Institute, steel can be recycled over and over and over again without losing its integrity and requires less energy to recycle than to make anew. Most plastic unfortunately ends up in landfills and it is estimated to take 700 years to decompose. Our special coloring process that allows Ahimsa® products to be fully metal is environmentally friendly, so it does not produce toxic run-off into the ecosystem.
Will Ahimsa products break or peel?
No. Our steel is durable, so it won’t break or shatter with everyday use, like glass. And it won’t peel, like other colored stainless steel products you’ve seen. We use a special process that allows the colors to naturally occur in the metal.
Which Ahimsa products are best for my little one(s)?
Our products are meant to last, you can use Ahimsa at ages 1, 8 and 18! We thoughtfully design our products to be safe for little ones and our planet while reducing consumption. Once your child outgrows the Starting Solids Set and can use regular cups and utensils, the training cup is the perfect size rinse cup in the bathroom, the infant spoon doubles as a tea stirrer and the bowl is great for snacks or as an additional compartment to our modular divided plate. Our plates are great for any age as they encourage choosing a variety of healthy foods at each meal and help visualize portion sizes easily. It’s the lasting beauty of stainless steel - grows with your child and reduces waste.
