CLEVELAND, Ohio — If you’re of a certain age range, your mother likely used Popeye cartoons as a way to encourage you to eat your spinach.
After all, spinach gave the tough guy all the strength he needed to get through another rough bout with his arch nemesis, Bruno, for his beloved Olive Oyl’s heart.
You can bet this animated salty sailor is celebrating National Spinach Day today.
Whether you love the green superfood as a fresh salad, sauteed, or from a can — or think you are not a fan of it — check out these 10 spinach appetizers we sampled when we ranked 95 frozen appetizers from your grocer’s freezers. You are likely to find one you’ll love, which will give you a new way to make mom happy and eat your spinach!
No. 10 Spanakopita, Trader Joe’s
Where we bought it: Trader Joe’s
Price: $3.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 170 | Fat 9g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 390mg | Carbs 16g | Protein 5g
First ingredient: Enriched unbleached wheat flour
Box says: Spanakopita filled with spinach, ricotta and feta cheese.
Our thoughts: The spinach overpowers all the other flavors. You can hardly detect the cheese. The mild phyllo dough crisps nicely and has a tasty flavor, but falls apart when you bite into it.
No. 9 Florentine spinach/mushroom Empanadas, Mas Panadas
Where we bought it: Whole Foods
Price: $6.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 210 | Fat 7g | Cholesterol less than 5mg | Sodium 250mg | Carbs 29g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Unbleached wheat flour
Box says: Real food for life in the fast lane. The perfect snack on the go.
Our thoughts: There is plenty of spinach in these doughy pockets, but you don’t get many mushrooms.
No. 8 Spanakopita, Athens
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $5.49
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 210 | Fat 8g | Cholesterol 10mg | Sodium 470mg | Carbs 27g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Enriched wheat flour
Box says: A rich and savory blend of spinach and cheese hand wrapped in layers of light, flaky phyllo dough.
Our thoughts: Plenty of fresh spinach, but very little cheese flavor. The filling is salty. The phyllo crisp up nicely, but the layers fall apart when you bite into it.
Buy it at Heinen’s $5.49 | Buy it on Instacart $5.49
No. 7 Spinach & Fire Roasted Red Pepper Soufflé, The Perfect Bite Co.
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $4.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 70 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 55mg | Sodium 115mg | Carbs 3g | Protein 3g
First ingredient: Whole eggs
Box says: Spinach, red pepper and onions in a creamy gruyere custard.
Our thoughts: This is a bit more like a brunch dish than an app, with lots of fresh veggies amid a creamy souffle. Definitely flavorful.
No. 6 Spanakopita, Good & Gather
Where we bought it: Target
Price: $4.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 10g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 280mg | Carbs 21g | Protein 5g
First ingredient: Spinach
Box says: Greek-inspired phyllo pastry with spinach and feta cheese filling.
Our thoughts: Like all the others we tried, there is plenty more of the fresh spinach than there was cheese. It is hard not to love the flakiness of this phyllo. Just a tad of a salty aftertaste.
Buy it at Target $4.99
No. 5 Spinach & Cheese Spanakopita, Whole Foods
Where we bought it: Whole Foods
Price: $4.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 190 | Fat 11g | Cholesterol 35mg | Sodium 320mg | Carbs 16g | Protein 6g
First ingredient: Spinach
Box says: Flaky phyllo pastries filled with a combination of spinach, feta, cream cheese and ricotta.
Our thoughts: Spinach lovers rejoice! There is plenty of fresh spinach and a mild feta flavor wrapped in a flaky phyllo crust.
Buy it at Whole Foods $4.99
No. 4 Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Trader Joe’s
Where we bought it: Trader Joe’s
Price: $2.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 45 | Fat 3g | Cholesterol 10mg | Sodium 130mg | Carbs 2g | Protein 2g
First ingredient: Vegetables
Box says: This is a perfect blend of artichoke hearts, spinach and Swiss and parmesan cheeses great for entertaining a crowd or dinner for the family. You may have even seen dips like this elsewhere, but we think ours outdoes them all.
Our thoughts: The box says it is a “perfect blend.” While the blended flavors meld well together, there is more cheese than spinach and artichoke. The creamy texture keeps you coming back for more, but this dip needs to find more veggies.
No. 3 Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Dip, TGI Fridays
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $3.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 30 | Fat 1.5g | Cholesterol less than 5mg | Sodium 125mg | Carbs 2g | Protein 2g
First ingredient: Water
Box says: Spinach and artichokes blended with parmesan, mozzarella and Neufchâtel cheeses.
Our thoughts: This was the smallest portion of dip we sampled but was rich in cheesy flavor. Sadly, it was a bit watery and lacking artichoke. It thickened up upon sitting but was still slightly salty.
Buy it at Giant Eagle $4.29 | Buy it at Heinen’s $3.99 | Buy it at Walmart $3.66
No. 2 Spinach, Artichoke & Gouda Dip, Great Value
Where we bought it: Walmart
Price: $4.96
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 80 | Fat 5g | Cholesterol 10mg | Sodium 220mg | Carbs 3g | Protein 4g
First ingredient: Spinach
Box says: Spinach, artichoke and gouda dip.
Our thoughts: This dip is packed with plenty of veggies in a rich and creamy cheese sauce. You can taste each ingredient. The perfect complement to your favorite cracker or chip.
Buy it at Walmart $4.96
No. 1 Phyllo Bites, Spinach & Cheese, Athens
Where we bought it: Heinen’s
Price: $3.99
Nutrition per serving:
Calories 200 | Fat 9g | Cholesterol 20mg | Sodium 340mg | Carbs 23g | Protein 7g
First ingredient: Enriched wheat flour
Box says: A savory blend of spinach, feta and cottage cheeses with a touch of dill nestled in phyllo dough.
Our thoughts: There’s more cheese in this Spanikopita than in most brands, but it helps balance the spinach and provides a nice break from all the fried and battered appetizers. It is the perfect “pop in your mouth size” contained in one bite.
Buy it at Heinen’s $3.99
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