Health Benefits and Safe Handling of Salad Greens – 9.373

Print this fact sheet

by M. Bunning and P. Kendall¹ (6/12)

Quick Facts…

• Lettuce, spinach, and other salad greens are an important part of a healthful diet because they can be year-round sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, and other nutrients.
• Red and dark green leafy vegetables are generally higher in antioxidants, Vitamin B6, and other nutrients than lighter colored greens.
• It is important to store leafy greens at refrigerator temperatures and rinse well under running water before using.
• To reduce the risk of foodborne illness, observe “Use by” dates printed on bagged leafy vegetables and salad mixes and use within two days after opening.
• There are many flavorful and nutritious leafy greens available to consumers, especially if you choose to grow them from seed.

Benefits of Leafy Salad Greens

Leafy green vegetables are nutrient rich because leaves contain the light-catching, energy-converting machinery of plants. Salad greens contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, folate, fiber, and phytonutrients (see Table 1). Leafy vegetables are a good choice for a healthful diet because they do not contain cholesterol and are naturally low in calories and sodium. Many of the health benefits that leafy greens provide come from phytonutrients, unique compounds that provide protection for plants. These compounds are becoming recognized as part of a nutritious diet that promotes long-term health. Phytonutrients can act as antioxidants, which help to prevent chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Figure 1 shows the antioxidant content of different kinds of lettuce.

Table 1. Nutrients in various lettuce types.
Nutrient*	Units	Lettuce Type
		Iceberg	Green Leaf	Red Leaf	Romaine	Butterhead
Vitamin A	IU	502	7405	7492	8710	3312
Vitamin B-6	mg	. 042	.09	.100	.074	.082
Vitamin C	mg	2.8	9.2	3.7	4	3.7
Vitamin K	mg	24	126	140	103	102
Folic Acid	mcg	29	38	36	136	73
Niacin	mg	.123	.375	.321	.313	.357
Riboflavin	mg	. 025	.080	.077	.067	.062
Iron	mg	.41	.86	1.2	.97	1.24
Potassium	mg	141	194	187	247	238
ß-carotene	mcg	229	4443	4495	5226	1987
Lutein + Zeaxanthin	mcg	277	1730	1724	2312	1223
*100g fresh weight/USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24 (2011) Shaded cells indicate highest values.

Lettuce, the most commonly consumed leafy vegetable, provides about seven calories per 1 cup serving. When it comes to satisfying your appetite, it helps to eat foods high in volume but low in calories like lettuce. Lettuce is not typically a stand alone vegetable. It is usually served with an array of other vegetables and fruits in a salad and lettuce is often used to add a crunch to sandwiches, hold a variety of fillings as a wrap, or provide color as a garnish.

Lettuce and other leafy greens are generally cool season crops with short growing periods. This means gardeners can get several crops of salad greens in the time it takes other vegetables to reach final maturity. Because leafy greens can grow in a variety of locations, they are often available at local farmers’ markets. Home-gardeners can enjoy lettuce and other types of leafy vegetables planted in traditional rows, containers, or even as accents in flower gardens.

Types of Lettuce

Many types of lettuce are available in the grocery store and may be purchased by the head or as prepackaged salad greens. Different types have slightly different flavors.

Some have a mild flavor and crisp texture; others have a slightly bitter or tangy flavor that adds a nice bite to mixed salads. Salad greens are popular world-wide so many of the different types have become known by a variety of names. Information about different types of lettuce and salad greens is listed in Table 2.

Tips for Safe Handling and Storage of Salad Greens

• When shopping, pack fresh salad greens in plastic bags so they are kept separate from other groceries, especially raw meats and poultry.
• Refrigerate salad greens at 35 to 40 degrees F within two hours of purchasing. Store in a plastic bag or lettuce keeper.
• Always wash hands before preparing salads and make sure you are working with a clean cutting board.
• Wash lettuce just before using by running cold water over leaves. Leaves can be difficult to clean so separating the leaves and immersing them in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes helps loosen sand and dirt. A bowl is a much better choice than a sink, which can harbor bacteria and be difficult to clean. Presoaking lettuce for 5 minutes in dilute vinegar-water (1/2 cup distilled white vinegar per 2 cups water), followed by a clean water rinse, has been shown to reduce bacterial contamination but may affect texture and taste. A vinegar rinse will not eliminate all microorganisms but may lower the level of possible contamination. After washing, blot dry with paper towels or use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture.
• Because lettuce and other salad greens are very perishable, they should be used within one week after purchase.
• Bagged salads can be convenient but added processing steps like cutting and mixing can increase the likelihood of contamination with microorganisms. To reduce the risk of foodborne illness with bagged salads keep them refrigerated at 35 to 40 degrees F, observe “Use By” dates marked on the package, and rinse well before eating, removing any damaged or spoiled leaves.

Table 2. Commonly available salad greens.
	Name	Characteristics
Commonly available types of lettuce
	Green Leaf (loose leaf or salad bowl)	Green leaf lettuce forms a loose bunch and is known for its mild flavor.
	Red Leaf (lollo rosso)	Red leaf lettuce makes a colorful addition to salads and sandwiches. Studies have shown red lettuce to be high in antioxidants (Figure 1). Red leaf lettuce is more perishable than head types and has a shorter shelf life.
	Romaine (cos)	Romaine lettuce, a Caesar salad favorite, has elongated, sturdy leaves. Romaine stores well and its coarse texture holds up well in salads.
	Butterhead (bibb or Boston)	This lettuce has tender, rounded leaves with a mild, buttery flavor that form into a soft head. It is often sold in a clam shell to protect its tender leaves.
	Iceberg (head or crisphead)	Iceberg is prized for its crispness and sweet flavor. It can be stored longer than leaf types of lettuce.
	Batavia (French Batavia)	Batavia lettuce is a subtype of crisphead lettuce and is similar to iceberg except it is smaller, less dense and more flavorful. Batavia lettuce is popular in Europe and may be found at farmers’ markets or grown in home gardens.
Salad greens that may be part of a salad mix or sold separately
	Arugula (rocket)	Arugula belongs to the mustard family and has a distinctive peppery flavor. The young fresh leaves are pungent but pleasant and often available in grocery stores.
	Baby Bok Choy	These tender young leaves have a crunchy, celery-like texture and a mild, refreshing flavor.
	Belgian Endive (witloof chicory)	Belgian endive has a dense, cigar-shaped head of crunchy leaves that are pale yellow because it is grown under cover. It is often used in hors d’œuvres, but can be added to salads.
	Curly Endive (frisée)	These attractive, yellowish-green, frilly leaves have a strong, pleasantly bitter taste.
	Dandelion greens	These relatives of lettuce are available in some grocery stores. If you collect them yourself, choose young plants that have not been exposed to pesticides.
	Escarole	The taste of this broad-leafed endive varies from mild in the lighter-colored portions to bitter in the darker green leaves.
	Mache (corn salad, lamb’s lettuce)	Mache has an unusual but pleasant, nutty flavor. Because its leaves are very delicate, it’s usually sold separately rather than included in salad mixes.
	Mesclun	Mesclun is French for a mixture of tender young lettuces (baby greens) and other salad greens. The traditional mesclun mix includes chervil, arugula, lettuce and endive.
	Mizuna (oriental greens)	Mizuna has deeply cut, fringed leaves with a tangy flavor.
	Radicchio (red chicory)	Radicchio is a type of chicory that has dark red leaves with white veins that form into a small, loosely wrapped, cabbage-like head. Radicchio is known for its bittersweet taste.
	Spinach	Young spinach leaves are nutritious and flavorful, alone or mixed with other salad greens. Savoy types of spinach have more wrinkled and curly leaves than smooth types.
	Watercress	These spicy, robust leaves are a pleasing addition to salads and they are also good on sandwiches.

Resources & References

Bunning, M. 2007. Evaluation of Antioxidant and Sensory Properties of Multiple Cultivars of Colorado-grown Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). PhD Dissertation. Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Chang, J. and Fang, T. 2007. Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium in iceberg lettuce and the antimicrobial effect of rice vinegar against E. coli O157:H7. Food Microbiology 24: 745-751.

Produce Safety, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Applied Food Safety & Applied Nutrition. Available online at: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2011. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl

^*M. Bunning, Colorado State University Extension food safety specialist and assistant professor, department of food science and human nutrition; P. Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State University, associate dean of research, food science and human nutrition.6/07.

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Colorado counties cooperating. CSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. No endorsement of products mentioned is intended nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.

Go to top of this page.

Salads and nutrients: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002132.htm

To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript.

Salads can be a good way to get your important vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, not all salads are healthy or nutritious. It depends on what is in the salad. It is OK to add small amounts of dressing and toppings, however, if you overdo it with high-fat or high-sugar add-ins, your salad may cause you to exceed your daily calorie needs and contribute to weight gain.

Prepare salads with colorful vegetables. If you have plenty of fresh vegetables in the salad, then you are getting healthy, disease-fighting nutrients.

Be mindful of the extra items you add to your vegetable salads, which may be high in saturated fat, sodium, or sugar.

• You want to include some fat in your salad. Mixing vinegar with olive oil or another vegetable oil is a good base for homemade dressings. You can also add nuts, seeds, and avocado to include healthy fats. This will help your body to make the most of the fat-soluble vitamins (A,D, E, and K).
• Use salad dressing or added fats in moderation. Prepared salad dressings can be high in fat and sodium and are often a hidden source of extra sugar. Large amounts of prepared salad dressing or toppings such as cheese, dried fruits, and croutons can turn a healthy salad into a very high-calorie meal.
• Chunks of cheese, croutons, bacon bits, nuts, and seeds can increase the amount of sodium, fat, and calories in a salad. Try to choose only one or two of these items to add to your colorful veggies.
• At the salad bar, avoid add-ons such as coleslaw, potato salad, and creamy fruit salads, which can increase calories and fat.
• Try to use a darker lettuce. Light green Iceberg has fiber but not as many nutrients as dark greens such as romaine, kale, or spinach.
• Add variety to your salad with high-fiber items such as legumes (beans), raw vegetables, and fresh fruit. Dried fruit is also a high-fiber add-in, but use this in moderation, as it is also high in sugar.
• Include a protein in your salads to help make them a filling meal. Examples include beans, grilled chicken breast, canned salmon, or hard-boiled eggs.

• Salad nutrients

Hall JE, Hall ME. Dietary balances; regulation of feeding; obesity and starvation; vitamins and minerals. In: Hall JE, Hall ME, eds. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 72.

Mason JB, Booth SL. Vitamins, trace minerals, and other micronutrients. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 205.

Updated by: Stefania Manetti, RD/N, CDCES, RYT200, My Vita Sana LLC – Nourish and heal through food, San Jose, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Salad – calories, useful properties, benefits and harms, description
12

Proteins, g:

1.2

Fats, g:

0.3

Carbohydrates, g:

1.3

Lettuce refers to a one- or two-year-old horticultural crop of the family Compositae . Information that lettuce was eaten is found in documents describing the existence of the ancient Roman Empire, until that time lettuce was grown for the sake of seeds, from which oil was squeezed out. The exact geographical place of origin of the first types of lettuce has not been historically established.

Lettuce has many varieties, the most common, leaf lettuce, has long tender shoots in the form of oak leaves, light green (light green) color. Lettuce leaves are juicy, crunchy, with a fresh smell, can vary in shape and quantity, located on one root or head.

Lettuce calories

Lettuce has 12 calories per 100 grams of product.

Composition and useful properties of lettuce

Lettuce has a rich vitamin and mineral composition, which contains: B and C vitamins, as well as potassium, calcium, sulfur, iodine, phosphorus. The product contains coarse dietary fiber, which improves digestion, normalizes intestinal motility, fills the volume of the stomach and, without being digested, is excreted, collecting mucus and toxins from the intestinal walls. Substance lactucin , belonging to the group of alkaloids, not only gives the salad a bitter taste, but also actively reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood. Eating lettuce leaves will help improve the condition of hair and nails, has a beneficial effect on the skin, improves memory, vision and is a preventive measure against the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite the beneficial properties of lettuce, it can be harmful to the body.

Harm of lettuce

The reasons for reducing the consumption of lettuce are the presence of diseases such as gout, colitis and enterocolitis, urolithiasis, hepatitis. Due to the high content of oxalic acid, the use of the product in case of kidney disease should be limited.

Slimming salad

Salad is a unique product for weight watchers. After eating a large bowl of lettuce leaves, we get a full stomach and a minimum of calories (calorizator). Of course, a salad in its pure form does not give a feeling of fullness, so it is combined with other vegetables or protein foods. You can, without adhering to special diets, consume a serving of lettuce leaves daily for lunch or dinner, thereby ensuring regular bowel movements, healthy peristalsis and burning fat accumulations. Babushkin’s diet or, for example, French for 13 days, recommend the daily use of lettuce in the diet.

Selecting and storing lettuce

When choosing a lettuce, you need to pay attention to its appearance – the juiciness and greenness of the leaves, their elasticity, integrity and the absence of rot, dark spots. Often lettuce is sold with roots or in pots, such a product retains freshness longer, but in any case, a visual inspection should be carried out carefully.

Salad in cooking

The name of the product speaks for itself, most often lettuce is used in salads. Even if it is a mixture of different types of lettuce leaves and an elementary dressing from any aromatic oil – olive, nut or any, to taste – sea salt and freshly ground pepper, then this salad will be a very tasty and healthy dish (kalorizator). Lettuce goes well with shrimp, mushrooms, nuts, eggs, dairy products, baked chicken breast or cold roast beef. The traditional use of elegant lettuce leaves is to serve and decorate cold appetizers, salads and various dishes, lettuce is a very “correct” side dish for meat dishes, contributing to the speedy digestion of meat.

For more information about leaf lettuce, see the video “Leaf lettuce – benefits and harms” of the TV show “About the most important thing.”

Specially for Calorizator.ru
Copying this article in whole or in part is prohibited.

Fresh vegetable salad recipe. Calorie, chemical composition and nutritional value.

lettuce	100.0 (grams)
cucumber	2.0 (piece)
radish	7.0 (piece)
carrots	1. 0 (piece)
potatoes	3.0 (piece)
tomatoes	2.0 (piece)
green onion	50.0 (grams)
sour cream	150.0 (grams)
vinegar	20.0 (grams)
powdered sugar	10.0 (grams)

Cut washed and dried green lettuce, put a slide in a salad bowl. Place sliced ​​carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, cucumbers, green onions around the salad. Place rounds of hard-boiled eggs in the center of the lettuce pile. Prepare the sauce from sour cream, vinegar and sugar. Lightly salt the salad before serving. Serve the sauce separately in a gravy boat. Prepare the sauce with vinegar and sugar. Lightly salt the salad before serving. Serve the sauce separately in a gravy boat.

Use the recipe calculator in the My Healthy Diet app to create your own recipe for vitamin and mineral losses.

Chemistry and Nutrition Analysis

Nutrition and Chemistry

Fresh Vegetable Salad .

The table shows the nutritional content (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) per 100 grams of the edible portion.

Nutrient	Number	Norm**	% of the norm in 100 g	% of the norm in 100 kcal	100% normal
Calories	77. 5 kcal	1684 kcal	4.6%	5.9%	2173 g
Proteins	1.6 g	76 g	2.1%	2.7%	4750 g
Fats	4.4 g	56 g	7.9%	10.2%	1273 g
Carbohydrates	8.3 g	219 g	3. 8%	4.9%	2639 g
Organic acids	0.2 g	~
Dietary fiber	1.3 g	20 g	6.5%	8.4%	1538 g
Water	94.5 g	2273 g	4.2%	5.4%	2405 g
Ash	0. 8 g	~
Vitamins
Vitamin A RE	1100 mcg	900 mcg	122.2%	157.7%	82 g
Retinol	1.1 mg	~
Vitamin B1, thiamine	0. 06 mg	1.5 mg	4%	5.2%	2500 g
Vitamin B2, riboflavin	0.07 mg	1.8 mg	3.9%	5%	2571 g
Vitamin B4, choline	17.3 mg	500 mg	3.5%	4.5%	2890 g
Vitamin B5, pantothenic	0.2 mg	5 mg	4%	5. 2%	2500 g
Vitamin B6, pyridoxine	0.2 mg	2 mg	10%	12.9%	1000 g
Vitamin B9, folates	12.7 mcg	400 mcg	3.2%	4.1%	3150 g
Vitamin B12, cobalamin	0.05 mcg	3 mcg	1.7%	2.2%	6000 g
Vitamin C, ascorbic	16. 3 mg	90 mg	18.1%	23.4%	552 g
Vitamin D, calciferol	0.02 mcg	10 mcg	0.2%	0.3%	50000 g
Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol, TE	0.3 mg	15 mg	2%	2.6%	5000 g
Vitamin H, Biotin	1 mcg	50 mcg	2%	2. 6%	5000 g
Vitamin PP, NE	0.8656 mg	20 mg	4.3%	5.5%	2311 g
Niacin	0.6 mg	~
Macronutrients
Potassium, K	340. 9 mg	2500 mg	13.6%	17.5%	733 g
Calcium Ca	42.3 mg	1000 mg	4.2%	5.4%	2364 g
Magnesium, Mg	22.6 mg	400 mg	5.7%	7.4%	1770
Sodium, Na	18.9 mg	1300 mg	1. 5%	1.9%	6878 g
Sulfur, S	13.7 mg	1000 mg	1.4%	1.8%	7299 g
Phosphorus, P	51.8 mg	800 mg	6.5%	8.4%	1544 g
Chlorine, Cl	58.7 mg	2300 mg	2.6%	3.4%	3918 g
Trace elements
Aluminium, Al	404. 3 mcg	~
Bor, B	91.6 mcg	~
Vanadium V	98.1 mcg	~
Iron, Fe	1 mg	18 mg	5.6%	7.2%	1800 g
Iodine, I	5. 8 mcg	150 mcg	3.9%	5%	2586 g
Cobalt, Co	4 mcg	10 mcg	40%	51.6%	250 g
Lithium, Li	29.2 mcg	~
Manganese, Mn	0.1831 mg	2 mg	9. 2%	11.9%	1092 g
Copper, Cu	127.8 mcg	1000 mcg	12.8%	16.5%	782 g
Molybdenum, Mo	7.3 mcg	70 mcg	10.4%	13.4%	959 g
Nickel, Ni	7.2 mcg	~
Rubidium, Rb	175 mcg	~
Selenium, Se	0. 04 mcg	55 mcg	0.1%	0.1%	137500 g
Fluorine, F	28.7 mcg	4000 mcg	0.7%	0.9%	13937 g
Chrome, Cr	7.5 mcg	50 mcg	15%	19.4%	667 g
Zinc, Zn	0.309 mg	12 mg	2. 6%	3.4%	3883 g
Digestible carbohydrates
Starches and dextrins	4 g	~
Mono- and disaccharides (sugars)	2.7 g	~

Energy value Fresh vegetable salad is 77. 5 kcal.

Main source: Internet. More.

** This table shows the average norms of vitamins and minerals for an adult. If you want to know the norms based on your gender, age and other factors, then use the application
“My Healthy Diet”

Recipe calculator

Nutritional value per 100 g

Content per serving			% of RSP
	Calories	77.5 kcal	-%
	Proteins	1.6 g	-%
	Fats	4.4 g	-%
	Carbohydrates	8. 3 g	-%
	Dietary fiber	1.3 g	-%
	Water	94.5 g	-%

Go to the food diary

Vitamins and minerals

Most foods cannot contain the full range of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is important to eat a variety of foods to meet the body’s needs for vitamins and minerals.

Find out the content of vitamins and minerals in your menu

Analysis of the calorie content of the product

The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:

Find out your energy balance for the whole day

Knowing the contribution of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to caloric content, you can understand how a product or diet meets the standards of a healthy diet or the requirements of a particular diet. For example, the US and Russian Departments of Health recommend 10-12% of calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 58-60% from carbohydrates. The Atkins diet recommends low carbohydrate intake, although other diets focus on low fat intake.

Calculate your norms

If more energy is expended than is supplied, then the body begins to use fat reserves, and body weight decreases.

Get recommendations

Get more information and make it happen with our free online course.

Learn online weight loss course

Try filling out a food diary right now without registering.

Complete the food diary

Find out your additional calorie expenditure for training and get detailed recommendations absolutely free.

Complete the training diary

Deadline for achieving the goal

Fresh vegetable salad is rich in vitamins and minerals such as:
vitamin A – 122.2%, vitamin C – 18.1%, potassium – 13.6%, cobalt – 40%, copper – 12.8%, chromium – 15%

• Vitamin A is responsible for normal development, reproductive function, skin and eye health, and immune support.
• Vitamin C is involved in redox reactions, the functioning of the immune system, promotes the absorption of iron. Deficiency leads to friable and bleeding gums, nosebleeds due to increased permeability and fragility of blood capillaries.
• Potassium is the main intracellular ion involved in the regulation of water, acid and electrolyte balance, is involved in the processes of nerve impulses, pressure regulation.
• Cobalt is part of vitamin B12. Activates the enzymes of fatty acid metabolism and folic acid metabolism.
• Copper is part of the enzymes that have redox activity and are involved in the metabolism of iron, stimulates the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates. Participates in the processes of providing tissues of the human body with oxygen. Deficiency is manifested by violations of the formation of the cardiovascular system and skeleton, the development of connective tissue dysplasia.
• Chromium is involved in the regulation of blood glucose levels, enhancing the action of insulin. Deficiency leads to decreased glucose tolerance.

You can find a complete guide to the healthiest foods in the My Healthy Diet app.

• Salad (lettuce) 16 kcal
• Ground cucumber 14 kcal
• Radish 20 kcal
• Carrot 35 kcal
• Potato 77 kcal
• Tomato (tomato), ground 24 kcal
• Green onion (feather) 20 kcal
• Sour cream 15% fat 162 kcal
• Vinegar 9% 11 kcal
• Powdered sugar 399 kcal