Can eating a handful of raw spinach every morning “set the tone” for your day? Some TikTokers say it helps them get in more greens and keeps them from craving sugary snacks later in the afternoon.

Spinach is a nutrient-rich vegetable that contains antioxidants, folate, iron, calcium, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K. However, you may wonder if forcing down a handful of raw spinach is really the best way to get these nutrients.

“If it’s something that people enjoy and they feel like that sets the tone for the day, go for it. But I just don’t think most people are going to enjoy a mouthful of raw spinach,” Dolores Woods, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian at UTHealth Houston, told Verywell.

Here’s what you should know if you want to try the handful of spinach trend.

One Handful of Spinach Is Not Enough

Adults need about two to three cups of vegetables each day to help support the immune system and lower chronic disease risk. Recent estimates say only 10% of U.S. adults eat enough vegetables.

One handful of spinach won’t solve this problem. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it takes two full measuring cups of raw leafy greens—like spinach—to count as a one-cup vegetable serving.

This means you would need to eat five cups of raw spinach to fulfill your daily vegetable requirement. Still, this trend isn’t the best approach to meeting those goals.

“If [raw spinach] is the only thing that people are eating, then they’re missing out on a lot of other vitamins and minerals that other fruits and vegetables are going to provide,” Woods said.

Raw Spinach May Help With Healthy Routines

Having one handful of raw spinach doesn’t mean you get to cross off “eat vegetables” from your mental to-do list. However, this trend might fit into a healthy morning routine.

“For a lot of people, having a healthy habit in the morning just mentally sets us up for success,” Woods said.

Research has shown that establishing a healthy routine can help people make positive lifestyle changes. Of course, raw spinach is not a magic bullet. This is just one of thousands of different healthy habits you could try. But, eating raw spinach straight out of the bag might work for some people.

“Some of this might be placebo effect, but it’s a healthy thing, so I’m not going to argue,” Theresa Gentile, MS, RDN, CDN, a Brooklyn-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Verywell.

People who typically eat a high-fat, high-salt, or high-sugar diet might notice that their taste buds get used to less salt, sugar, and fat if they start eating more raw vegetables, she added.

Raw Spinach Is Not Right For Everyone

Raw spinach might not fit into everyone’s healthy eating plan. Spinach contains high amounts of oxalates, anti-nutrients that bind to calcium and other minerals in the body. Too many oxalate-rich foods may lead to kidney stones for some people.

People prone to kidney stones or those with kidney disease may want to limit their intake of raw spinach. But the benefits of spinach outweigh the risks for people who don’t need to follow a low-oxalate diet, Woods said.

The same goes for anyone taking blood thinners. Vitamin K plays a role in blood clotting and could impact the dosage of their medications.

Should You Try the Raw Spinach Trend?

Raw spinach has many health benefits, but there’s no reason to force yourself to try this trend.

Cooked spinach is another option if raw spinach seems unappetizing. This also helps break down some of the oxalates in raw spinach.

But you have many options if you don’t like spinach or get tired of eating it daily. Raw bell peppers dipped in hummus or leafy greens, like kale or arugula, mixed into an omelet can also help you add more vegetables to your morning routine.

“I’d be happy if anyone started the day with any vegetable, but variety is going to be key,” said Gentile.