WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27:  SPINACH LOVERS MONTH

Profile America — Saturday, October 27th.  This is Spinach Lovers Month — perhaps the only vegetable made famous by a comic strip.  The spinach eating sailor Popeye first appeared in January 1929 — and soon spinach was the third favorite children's food — after turkey and ice cream.  Several towns proclaim they are the "Spinach Capital of the World," among them Crystal City, Texas, which has a statue of Popeye in front of its city hall and an annual Spinach Festival.  Spinach is now a common ingredient in salads and has a new lease on life with the news that its lutein content can help prevent macular degeneration.  Each year, the spinach crop in the U.S. is worth $204 million.  You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 484
               Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 862

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).   

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau