by Haven Logan PH.D

        

 

Lettuce is like conversation: It must be fresh and crisp,
and so sparkling that you scarcely notice the bitter in it.

-- Charles Dudley Warner, 19th century

After last month’s Health Living column about dietary and financial belt-tightening, this month lettuce came to mind as a specific focus because it is so extremely low in calories and relatively inexpensive. While lettuce often serves as a bed for other vegetables or a sponge for our favorite dressing, it deserves to be appreciated by itself. Not only can it be delicious, but many varieties are surprisingly nutritious, and one cup of lettuce contains fewer than 10 calories. That means you could have 34 cups of lettuce for the same calories as ½ cup of Ben and Jerry’s Wavy Gravy ice cream. Your taste buds might prefer the ice cream, but your waist and nutrition would do much better with the lettuce.

                              The Health Benefits of Lettuce and Salads

Lettuce and other salad greens are an essential part of any healthy diet. In Eat to Live Dr. Joel Furman states that research has shown that the one food most highly associated with longevity is leafy greens. Dark colored raw vegetables, such as leafy greens, are full of antioxidants, plant compounds that slow the aging process and ward off diseases such as cancer and heart disease, according to research.

Normally we don’t think about the nutritional value of lettuce, but consider vegetarian animals such as giraffes, elephants and gorillas whose diet is based on leafy green vegetation. Where do they get the protein needed to grow their large bodies and muscles? The answer lies in their leafy diet because all protein originates with the process of photosynthesis in green plants.

Another major health benefit of lettuce in green salads is that it is eaten raw so that none of the nutritional value is cooked out. In addition, lettuce and other raw vegetables provide bulk and roughage which are essential to keeping our digestive track in order. While all varieties of lettuce are very low in calories, they vary in nutritional value. Until recently when you ordered a restaurant salad, it was inevitably based on iceberg lettuce. This light green, tightly wrapped lettuce probably contains the least nutrition of all the varieties of lettuce. The key to nutrition with lettuce and leafy greens is color. The darker the color, the more nutritious it is.

                                        Selection and Storage

As Charles Dudley Warner said in the quote above, you want to enjoy lettuce when it’s fresh and crisp. The color should be vivid and the leaves firm. Throw away salad greens that are wilted, brown-edged or slimy. There is no bringing them back. It is best to store your heads of lettuce in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer with the roots still on in perforated plastic bags. Convenience salads ready-to-go have become increasingly popular. Those with cut lettuce are often turning brown and can have an unpleasant bag taste. When not buying a full head of lettuce, I much prefer to purchase organic spring greens at the farmer’s market, Co-op or grocery store. These are easily kept for a week and since they are not cut there is no turning brown.

Experiment with different varieties of lettuce to see what pleases you. Try a combination of greens to spice up your salads. Here are a few:

Arugula: This leaf is also known as rocket or roquette. Look for small, flat leaves that have a hot, peppery flavor. It will only keep for a day or two unless locked in a plastic box.
Chicory: Look for a curly-leaved green with dark-green leaves. It has a bitter taste that needs a well-seasoned dressing.
Escarole: It is related to chicory with broad, slightly curved green leaves and a milder flavor.
Radicchio: While looking like a miniature head of red cabbage, radicchio is actually a member of the chicory family with a less bitter taste. It is found in many salad mixes.
Romaine: This is a staple in most produce departments which is much more nutritious than iceberg lettuce. It has long crisp leaves and a slightly bitter taste. It can keep up to 10 days.
Watercress: This delicate dark green is usually sold in bunches and should be used quickly.

Other greens to consider putting in your salad include; green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, Bibb lettuce, spinach, kale, parsley or a spring mix of baby greens. If you want to grow your own salad greens you can enjoy a wide variety all year around in mild climates. Add to that the joy of picking greens right before eating them.

Preparation

When you are ready to prepare your salad the first thing you will do is wash your lettuce in cold water. You can put it under running water or immerse it in a bowl of water to remove any dirt or sand. Next remove excess water with a salad spinner or paper towels. Leaves can be cut with a knife or broken by hand, according to your preference.

Think of your green salad as an artist’s palate. With the bright green leaves as the base, you can begin to select vegetables from every color of the rainbow. There are yellow vegetables such as yellow peppers, yellow squash, carrots and sweet potatoes. For purple try purple cabbage, purple endive and eggplant. For more green there is broccoli, green peppers, peas, zucchini, asparagus, cucumber, celery and a variety of sprouts. Don’t forget red splashes of tomatoes, red bell peppers, beets and red onions. To add some extra interest to your salad think about nuts, seeds, dried fruit or a small amount of cheese.

It’s hard to imagine eating a green salad without dressing, but think carefully about the dressing you are going to put on your salad. It is important to measure the amount because just pouring it on easily adds hundreds of calories to your low calorie salad, though adding some fat can actually enhance the absorption of certain nutrients in your salad.  One or two tablespoons should be enough for an individual salad. If you’re using a bottled dressing read the label carefully. Making your own dressing from olive oil with vinegar or lemon juice and spices is easy and you will know exactly what is in the dressing. With strong-flavored salads you will want a stronger flavored dressing such as one based on mustard or garlic. For some wonderful salad dressing ideas visit the website of the Association for Dressings and Sauces at www.dressings-sauces.org.

 

Salads make a great lunch to take to work or school. Be sure to put your dressing in a separate container so that you can add it just before eating. For dinner you can make one salad for everyone or create your own salad bar with ingredients in separate dishes. For salad recipes here are two websites; www.allrecipes.com and www.foodnetwork.com. Just remember that with fresh, colorful, preferably organic ingredients you can’t go wrong in creating a superb green salad that is both inexpensive and healthy. One a day may well help keep the doctor away.