Salads can be a great way to meet the recommended servings of vegetables each day, no matter what leafy green you’re using as a base. Whether it’s a simple side salad or a more robust entrée, a salad provides a unique ability to mix and match healthful ingredients, flavors and textures to customize an option for every taste.
With that said, there are a wide variety of choices when it comes to salad greens, and some provide a bigger nutritional bang for your buck than others. In general, dark leafy greens such as spinach and Romaine lettuce are known for their high levels of vitamins A and K, calcium, iron, folate and fiber. These nutrients can help you with everything from maintaining a healthy weight to building stronger bones. Crispy iceberg lettuce, on the other hand, provides little nutrition beyond a very small amount of fiber. When ordering or building a salad, start with a nutritious green, and keep these tips in mind to build a better salad.
Don’t forget to take advantage of restaurant salad bars that provide lots of fresh mix and match choices to experiment with.