There are hundreds of varieties of salads. However, the most nutritious of them all are the green salads. As the name suggests, green salads are salads consisting chiefly of lettuce and other fresh green vegetables. The nutritional value of salad greens depends primarily on its ingredients. The ones with red and/or darker green leaves are generally higher in nutrients and vitamins. There can be several types of greens you can use including:
- Green leaf
- Arugula
- Romaine
- Iceberg
- Spinach
- Curly endive
- Belgian endive
- Escarole
- Watercress
Benefits Of Eating Green Salad
Health experts and nutritionists also recommend that adults should incorporate two to three cups of vegetables and one and a half to two cups of fruits to their diet every day. Here are a few health benefits of eating salad greens.
1. Rich in Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays a crucial role for our eye health, immunity, growth, reproduction, and cell division. A 100 gram serving of romaine or red and green lettuce helps in providing a person more than twice the amount of Vitamin A than they need everyday.
2. Protects the brain
According to research, people who ate leafy green vegetables daily had better brain health than those who did not. The rate of cognitive decline for these people who ate the most leafy greens was equivalent to being around 11 years younger.
3. Source of Vitamin K
Vitamin K is extremely important for our body in terms of blood clotting. It also helps in building strong bones and keeping the blood vessels healthy. The body stores small amounts of Vitamin K from salad greens from the food we eat. A green salad on an average contains 100 micrograms of Vitamin K.
4. Prevents chronic diseases
Salad greens contain a unique compound that acts as antioxidants. Antioxidants in turn help in preventing several chronic diseases. Red lettuce especially is high in antioxidant properties.
How To Make Salad Greens Healthier?
1. Add protein
Adding lean protein to your green salad will help you in feeling full for a longer period of time. Therefore, adding eggs, fish, or any skinless poultry to your salad will help in extracting the most benefits. Vegetarians can add chickpeas, kidney or black beans to their salad. Additionally, dry fruits like walnuts and almonds also increase protein and add healthy fats to your every day diet.
2. Add other vegetables
Salad leaves are not the only veggies you can add to the salad. Raw carrots, cucumber, and roasted beets will add the perfect blend and taste to your green salad.
3. Dress your salad well
Adding healthy fats to the salad helps the body in absorbing the nutrients better. Adding two tablespoons of dressing to your salad will give a tastier and creamier texture to salad greens.
Leafy vegetables are a home of several illnesses. Therefore, it is suggested to handle the salad greens hygienically and safely. The below mentioned tips will come in handy if you intend to add greens to your salad.
- Store the vegetables in refrigerator
- Run cold water over the vegetables leaves and wash thoroughly
- Separate leaves to remove more dirt
- Do not use the vegetables after a week of purchase
