PLAIN OLD lettuce deserves more credit than it gets. Dressed up, it can be a mouth-watering appetizer, snack or meal. And new research confirms that it may reduce the risk of cancer, strengthen bones and aid digestion.
Not bad for something you can buy for a few dollars a bag.
But what kind of lettuce you eat matters, and so does the dressing you use to spice it up.
A LITTLE HISTORY
Lettuce is America's most popular vegetable, available at markets and fast-food restaurants everywhere.
But it was not always so. In ancient Greece and Rome, lettuce was considered a delicacy and served to wealthy people for dessert. Later, wild lettuce--more bitter than modern varieties--was used as an herbal medicine for insomnia.
In ancient Egypt, lettuce was considered a powerful aphrodisiac. Indeed, recent Spanish research showed men who ate more lettuce had healthier sperm than men who didn't. So, salads may be a manly dish.
Lettuce is also a good source of folic acid, especially important for pregnant women. Folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects.
NOURISHING THE BODY
Some varieties of lettuce are more potent than others.
Dark-green lettuces have vitamin K, which can improve bone strength for both men and women. In a study, women who ate a cup of lettuce a day had higher vitamin K levels in their blood. They also had half as many hip fractures as women who ate less lettuce, according to Harvard researchers.
The green pigments in lettuce also contain carotenoids, which may help preserve eyesight in old age and fight cancer.
Lettuce has some fiber, which is good for digestion. Eating more lettuce reduced relapses of ulcerative colitis, a painful digestive problem, according to a Scottish study.
Several studies suggest that lettuce eaters have lower risks of cancers of the breast, colon and lungs. Of course, lettuce is not a substitute for a doctor's care. But eating well can help the healing process.
The U.S. MyPyramid recommends eating 3 cups per week of dark green vegetables, such as lettuce, broccoli and kale. Yet most Americans eat about half that, according to surveys.
It's easy to eat more greens, especially salad greens, because you don't have to cook them. Simply rinse off a head of lettuce and tear the leaves into salad bowls. Or use them as a sandwich topping.
You can save even more time by buying bags of lettuce leaves, although these cost more.
In the past few years, unwashed lettuce contaminated with germs from cattle, hogs and chickens has been linked to food poisoning. But there's no need to buy fancy produce washes and sprays--simply rinse fresh lettuce under running water before you cut or serve it, according to the U.S. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
I recommend rinsing even bagged, pre-rinsed lettuce, although the danger of food poisoning from pre-washed lettuce is pretty low.
BETTER THAN ICEBERG
When buying lettuce, colorful lettuces give you the most bang for your buck, nutritionally. For example, Romaine lettuce, popularly used in Caesar salads, has six times as much vitamin C and beta-carotene as its pale cousin, iceberg lettuce. Darker lettuces also have more calcium, magnesium and iron.
Other lettuces commonly found in markets include the sweet, mild butterhead lettuces, also known as Boston or Bibb lettuce. You also can find colorful red and green loose-leaf lettuces. Any of these darker lettuces has more nutrients than iceberg lettuce.
Many markets now sell spicier salad greens that aren't lettuces at all but add flavor, color and vitamins, such as curly frisee, burgundy raddichio and peppery arugula.
If you garden, you can grow an amazing variety of colorful and tasty gourmet heirloom lettuces for pennies. Some of my favorite seed catalogs are from Pinetree Garden Seeds, R.H. Shumway's and the Seed Savers Exchange.
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Whatever lettuces you fill your bowl with, dress them for sex appeal. By this I mean, the more "skin" your salad shows, and the less dressing, the better.
Consider drizzling a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar over your salad, or splash on a bit of your favorite dressing.
There's no need to leave the salad entirely "nude," nor to use fat-free dressing; in fact, your body needs a little fat to absorb the healthy carotenoids in the lettuce.
But don't drown your salad in dressing. By itself, a cup of lettuce has a wealth of nutrients and only 20 calories. Each teaspoon of oil you add has 45 calories. Or, if you use a half-cup of creamy ranch dressing, you might add a whopping 800 calories.
If you like thick, creamy dressings, try eating the dressing on the side. Dip your fork in the dressing before you stab each piece of lettuce--this way, you get a taste of the dressing in each bite.
You also can make your own dressings for less money and more flavor than you'll find in most bottled dressings. (See my recipe for creamy Greek-style dressing with this column.)
Whatever lettuce and dressing you choose, enjoy your salad and good health.
Jennifer Motl welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.
| You can save money and really know what you're eating by making your own salad dressing.
For example, to make a creamy Greek-style dressing, mix 1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt, cup of minced cucumber, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and teaspoon each of optional spices such as dried mint leaves, oregano, black pepper and cinnamon. One quarter of the recipe, |
Jennifer Motl is a registered dietitian. Formerly of |