Flourish with Food: Let Us Talk Lettuce

Warm (and hot) days are ahead.  Cool, refreshing, summer salads are the perfect answer for a cool kitchen cool and picnic eats. Let’s talk about lettuce, the ‘bed” of the green salad.

The most common lettuce types are loose leaf (green and red), romaine, crisp (iceberg) and butterhead (bibb and Boston).  However, arugula, spinach and spring mix are also healthy salad greens easily found in today’s markets.

What nutritional benefits could ever be found in a veggie that’s over 90% water? 

Nutrient-wise, lettuce can offer significant amounts of certain vitamins (folate, A, K) and antioxidants (anthocyanins, carotenoids, lutein). Important to recognize, though, that not all lettuces are created equal. An easy rule-of-thumb: the darker the lettuce, the more nutritional value.

Check out the nutritional value of your favorite salad greens at https://lettuceinfo.org/lettuce-nutrition. Notice the nutrient values are in 1 cup portions.  The official serving size of salad greens is an easily met 2 cups.

Importantly, salad greens are an easy way to meet the MIND approach’s encouragement to include a leafy green vegetable every day. 

Lettuce safety at the farm level is occasionally in the news. The consumer, though, is responsible for practicing safe lettuce handling at home.  Check out the YouTube videos available at https://lettuceinfo.org/lettuce-safety for kitchen safety tips.

Pre-washed salad greens are an awesome timesaver that reduce a common prep barrier to eating more often.  Outside of watching the “Use by” date, spoilage can be managed by opening the lid and “fluffing” the greens.  This lets fresh air get between the leaves. Two other tips: (1) put a paper towel in the package to absorb excess moisture that lends to spoilage, and (2) fluff the greens every time the package is opened.

To make summer green salads more interesting, consider mixing complementary taste sensations and textures: 

• texture (sunflower seeds, fresh corn kernels, sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, chickpeas, shredded red cabbage, fennel)
• sweet or tart (green apple, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, mandarins)
• salty (green olives)
• sour (flavor infused vinegars, fresh lemon juice)
• flavored infused olive oils (lemon, basil)
• herbs (mint, parsley, cilantro, basil) 

Flourish with Food introduced the MIND approach last month, noting its components complement the Mediterranean dietary pattern. MIND-emphasized foods have been associated with slowing the cognitive changes people often experience as they get older.  https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/improve-brain-health-with-the-mind-diet/art-20454746

This month’s focus is leafy greens - an essential MIND food. Think green and red leaf lettuce, romaine, kale, arugula, spinach, escarole, Swiss chard, watercress, collard greens, mustard greens, beet greens, rapini/broccoli rabe. 

Leafy greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, while being low in sodium. In general, the deeper the green color the greater the nutrient density. Iceberg lettuce, mostly water, pales in comparison to darker greens when considering nutrients.

MIND guidance encourages a leafy green vegetable every day. Both raw and cooked count.  A serving size is generally ½ cup cooked and 2 cups for salad greens.

For green salad enthusiasts, a salad most days at either lunch or dinner makes this easy. Consider at least 2 different greens for taste, texture and nutrition variety. Unusual leafy greens to add to green salads for a unique flavor: cilantro, basil and microgreens (underdeveloped greens of vegetables such as broccoli, arugula and cabbage).