If you’ve been on TikTok in the past few days, there’s a chance you’ve seen people chowing down on handfuls of raw spinach. Yes, you read that right — people are consuming fistfuls of raw spinach straight from the container. They’re not adding any dressing or seasoning, either. Just plain, raw leaves. But why are people eating raw spinach on TikTok?
So…why are people eating raw spinach on TikTok?
If your algorithm is sending raw spinach mukbangs to your For You Page, there’s a chance you may have wondered while scrolling why anyone would subject themselves to eating handfuls of raw spinach. And while spinach can be tasty, trend participants aren’t just eating leafy veggies for fun, but for the alleged health benefits.
Although it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how and when the raw spinach trend began, TikTok creator Jordynn Nicholson did spark a new interest in spinach when she posted a video of her eating a bowl of it, raw. In the caption, she wrote that she “learned that the first thing your taste buds taste and digest sets the tone for your cravings for the day.” So naturally, she decided to eat raw spinach because she “had to stop eating leftover cake and cookies.” While vegetables don’t necessarily satisfy your body’s natural and biological sugar cravings, Nicholson reports that she has seen an impact in cravings, and consuming raw spinach has become a vital part of her daily routine.
According to Nicholson’s video, she eats a big bowl of spinach or mixed greens first thing in the morning — without any dressing or condiments — and “takes it like a vitamin.” What better way to start the day off than with some raw spinach?
The trend caught on, and people began trying the raw spinach hack for themselves. According to participants, raw spinach should be the first thing your taste buds taste for this “hack” to work when it comes to curbing cravings and maximizing health benefits. TikToker Mary Reneé gave it a try, and she said after having a handful of raw spinach in the morning, her taste buds didn’t have a craving for sugar the rest of the day. Personally, I want my taste buds to taste toothpaste first thing in the morning, but to each their own.
But some users aren’t eating raw spinach to suppress cravings. Instead, they’re using the tip as a way to get their vegetables in. Maybe it’s been a few days since you last remembered eating a vegetable, and rather than going through the trouble of preparing a salad or vegetable side dish, you can just eat a handful of raw spinach to get the recommended daily vegetable intake in a single go. After all, it can take a lot of time and energy to incorporate vegetables into every meal, so why not just eat a handful of spinach for the same benefits?
Is raw spinach good for you?
It’s not news that spinach has lots of health benefits. It’s packed with vitamins and antioxidants, like plenty of vitamins A and C. The leafy green is known for promoting eye health, boosting energy levels, and helping with blood sugar regulation, among other benefits.
When comparing raw and cooked spinach, there are some benefits that raw spinach has over cooked. Raw spinach provides almost 50% of the daily value for vitamin C, while cooked spinach provides only 16%. Raw spinach is also richer in antioxidants, as cooking spinach causes heat-sensitive nutrients to be degraded by the heat. It’s also a better source of potassium than cooked spinach. Cooked spinach has some health benefits that raw spinach doesn’t have, though, like higher vitamin A, E, and K content and increased iron absorption. So, raw spinach isn’t necessarily more healthy than cooked — they’re both beneficial in slightly different ways.
Wait, does raw spinach affect your taste buds?
There is no concrete evidence that raw spinach has the ability to temporarily alter your taste buds. However, the phenomenon known as “spinach teeth” is very much real, and it’s common to have a gritty feeling inside of your mouth after consuming raw spinach. The oxalic acid from spinach combines with calcium and other foods in the mouth to make calcium oxalate, which is the reason our teeth feel chalky and sticky after eating spinach. But no, there is no hard evidence that consuming raw spinach stops you from wanting a sweet treat. So while eating raw spinach may be a trendy way to get your veggies in, don’t count on it to stop you from craving that ice cream — and know you can enjoy both the health benefits of spinach alongside mood-boosting benefits of an afternoon sweet treat.