Purchase & Storage
Ending up with nice, crisp lettuce means starting with the freshest greens you can find—preferably ones that have been refrigerated or kept on ice. Look for stems that are crisp and for leaves that aren't limp or slimy.
To keep bagged lettuce fresh, store it in the original manufacturer's bag. Keep heads of lettuce or individual leaf lettuce in a plastic produce bag and store them in your vegetable crisper. Although tastiest (and most nutritious) when consumed soon after purchase, properly stored iceberg can last up to 2 weeks, romaine about 1½ weeks, radicchio about 7 days, and green and red leaf lettuces about 3 to 4 days. Delicate greens like arugula only keep fresh about 2 days.
Make sure to store your greens away from fruits, like apples, which give off gas that can hasten decay. And only wash the greens just before you eat them to avoid sliminess.
| To Wash |
|---|
| 1. Cut or tear lettuce into pieces. |
| 2. Immerse in a large bowl of cold water. |
| 3. Swish leaves around to loosen dirt and other grit. |
| 4. Remove lettuce and place in a strainer to drain. |
| 5. Gently pat dry with paper towel or spin dry in a salad spinner. |
| 6. If you don't eat it all right away, wrap clean lettuce in dry paper towel, place in a clean, loosely closed plastic bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. Or store in a covered salad spinner in the fridge. |
Are All Lettuces Created Equal?
Definitely not. Tastes, texture and nutritional value vary greatly. Robin Vitetta-Miller, MS, nutritionist and food writer, loves hearts of romaine for their crispness, hearty flavor and nutrients (they're loaded with vitamin A, folate and vitamin C). Iceberg lettuce is also nice and crisp, but it has a mild flavour and scores low on the nutrition charts.
The butterhead lettuce family, which includes Bibb and Boston lettuces, is named for it's "buttery" texture and slightly sweet flavor. Red and green leaf lettuces (also known as looseleaf), fall between butterhead and iceberg/romaine in terms of texture—they're mild in taste. Of special mention are arugula for being rich in calcium, folate and vitamin C contents and peppery taste, and radicchio for its bright red color and strong flavor.
Putting It All Together
Vitetta-Miller offers a few tips for turning your greens into exciting main meals or starter salads.
1. Build a salad for storage.
Toss in vegetables such as peppers, whole cherry and grape tomatoes, broccoli (best when blanched), scallions and carrots. These vegetables keep well and will last more than a day or so in the fridge. (If you're aiming to store your salad leftovers, avoid things like cut tomatoes and sliced mushrooms which release moisture and can make lettuce slimy sooner. Avoid topping stored greens with dressing for the same reason.)
2. Make it a meal.
Turn a salad into a complete dinner by adding meat, nuts or dried or fresh fruits. One of Vitetta-Miller's favorite combinations includes mandarin oranges, red onion and slivered almonds.
3. Keep great toss-ins and toppers on hand, such as:
- Grilled chicken or shrimp
- Marinated and cubed tofu
- Torn smoked turkey breast or ham
- Shredded low-fat cheese or crumbled feta
- Chopped hard-boiled eggs or egg whites
- Toasted pine nuts, sunflower or sesame seeds, fat-free croutons or imitation bacon bits for crunch
- Sliced seedless grapes, diced mango or dried fruits for sweetness
- Sliced hearts of palm or quartered canned artichoke hearts for an exotic flair.
4. Make your own dressing.
Try Vitetta-Miller's healthy versions of Blue Cheese and Russian Dressing, below.
Blue Cheese Dressing
½ cup fat-free sour cream
2½ Tbsp crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbsp skim milk, or more to taste
In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and cheese until combined. Thin out with milk as desired. Yields about 2½ tablespoons per serving.
Russian Dressing
½ cup fat-free sour cream
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp relish
In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients until combined. Yields about 2½ tablespoons per serving.
3 comments:
Thanks, Mary Ann. I am not a big salad eater but think I would be if our kids would eat them. I often have told Durrell that when the kids are grown and gone, we will be eating a lot of salads. The key for me and salads is that I get so frustrated with how quickly lettuce goes bad and slimy and wilty. So, I am really looking forward to this summer and my veggie garden, where I can go outside and pick my own lettuce. Until then, I just need to keep buying it and watching it go bad because we don't eat enough fast enough. So sad!
I printed off a couple of the recipes that you attached. Thanks!
I love this idea of everyone having a day -- we will be able to see different perspectives each day. Be ready for Quinoa info on Thursday from me! I know Mary Annie says that she has used it, but it is my new love!
Thanks, Mary Ann, for the salad info and now back to work for me and to start my water intake (it is 6:30 a.m. here, so just getting started).
Have a great day everyone!
Thanks Mom! This is a great post. I love salads and buy 3 bags of romaine a week. I have a lunch salad every other day and we always have a side salad for dinner, so we are definitely salad eaters! Dave lost a lot of weight last summer when I made salads for dinner everynight. I would make different ones, such as taco salad (but I skipped the doritos I normally pair with it!), pasta salads (made with whole grain noodles) green salads with different veggies or some dried fruit and nuts and some fresh fruit (we didn't really care for those as dinners...but lunches, the sweet salads were nice). One of my favorite 'salads' was a nicquoise salad...I would either broil a steak or chicken breast or some seafood and then boil some red potatoes, steam some green beans, boil some eggs and put them in the fridge. Then I would get a square plate or small platter and I would line up the meat, eggs, potatoes, green beans, add some tomatoes, cucumbers, romaine and homemade croutons and use honey mustard dressing. This is delicious and eaten in small quantity, it's still healthy. It has your protein and your veggies and it's very satisfying. The great thing about this salad is that you can make it all ahead of time because it's served cold.
Again, great post Mom. I didn't exercise last night, but I made a spring risotto and a salad and I didn't over-eat. Although, I did split a cupcake with dave. I made them to take to work today, which is why I didn't exercise, but I did walk home from work!
Still doing well and appreciate all of the support!
I am doing pretty well - I love salads, but I wish someone would make them for me :) My favorite is with avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, etc. Don't typically add protein, but I think I will try some chicken in mine soon. Exercising is going well and I am workin on the water thing. Going to Vegas from Sat to Wed of this week, so will get lots of walking in and my girlfriend drinks lots of water, so when she stops, I will get some soon. Hopefully I will be able to eat healthy while I am there. Katie, I am going to take your idea of the "cold salad", as it sounds delicious. I will try it once I get back and go to the grocery store. Katie, if it is an EASY recipe, can you e-mail me the risotto recipe? I love risotto. Thanks.
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