Healthy Lunch to Stay Healthy and Lower Inflammation

Shared by Dr. Trent Yeomans

With school starting back, getting back into a normal routine and stocking up nutritious meals for lunch can be difficult. Adding spinach to lunches in a chicken and spinach wrap is a smart and nutritious choice that can help boost overall health and keep your inflammation and pain away. Spinach is a leafy powerhouse food packed with essential vitamins and minerals. According to an article in Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits in Vegetables, There are numerous health benefits associated with the consumption of spinach like cardiovascular protection, anti- obesity effects, hypoglycemic activity, anti-inflammatory effects, anticancer properties, anti-macular degeneration, antioxidant properties. By incorporating spinach into a tasty chicken wrap, you’re ensuring that you enjoy a delicious meal while sneaking in valuable nutrients essential for your family’s health. Here is a Chicken and spinach wrap recipe to keep you healthy!

“These findings suggest that dietary nitrate from spinach may contribute to beneficial hemodynamic effects of vegetable-rich diets and highlights the potential of developing a targeted dietary approach in the management of elevated BP.”

Jovanovski E, Bosco L, Khan K, Au-Yeung F, Ho H, Zurbau A, Jenkins AL, Vuksan V. Effect of Spinach, a High Dietary Nitrate Source, on Arterial Stiffness and Related Hemodynamic Measures: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Healthy Adults. Clin Nutr Res. 2015 Jul;4(3):160-7. doi: 10.7762/cnr.2015.4.3.160. Epub 2015 Jul 31. PMID: 26251834; PMCID: PMC4525132.

Ingredients

8 ounces dry fusilli or rotini pasta
1 1/2 to 2 cups spinach leaves
1/2 medium red bell pepper
12 grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
2 cups chopped cooked or canned chicken
1 to 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon or a favorite gourmet mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
Salt to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water following the package directions; drain and rinse well. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, chop the spinach leaves coarsely and diced the red bell pepper half.
Toss the cooled and drained pasta with the spinach, red bell pepper, tomato halves, onion, garlic, and chicken
Combine 1 cup of the mayonnaise with wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, and basil.
Toss the dressing mixture with the pasta mixture. Add more mayonnaise, if needed. Taste and add salt, as needed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving time for best flavor.

References

Murcia, A., Jimenez-Monreal, A., Gonzalez, J., & Martinez-Tome, M. (2020, September 11). Spinach. Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fruits and Vegetables. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128127803000118

Our Message

When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our East Dallas Chiropractors located in Lakewood, near the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd., are here to teach you that taking care of your mental health and getting the proper nutrients are just as important as the chiropractic adjustment to stay healthy.