There’s more to salad than just iceberg

I love salad and eat one pretty much every single day. However, eating the same classic salad with iceberg lettuce, cucumbers,  tomatoes, onion, and green pepper needs a shake-up every once in a while. Sure, there are plenty of different vegetables to add, and there are other types of salads to consider like caesar, cobb, and greek.

How about changing up the base - the greens themselves. 

There are other salad greens to consider besides iceberg and romaine that will change the flavor profile and enhance health benefits as well. Let’s take a look at alternative greens that you might consider trying.

Arugula - Peppery, lacy, and fairly delicate, these greens can be found on pizza alongside prosciutto for a fancier pie. Added to a salad, it has antioxidants to protect against or reverse damage to your cells. It also contains some vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium, according to the USDA.

Butter, sometimes called Boston or Bibb - This is a delicate tasting lettuce that is almost buttery and a little sweet. I typically find it with its roots attached and housed in a plastic container to preserve its freshness. It is a great addition to a salad, especially if you are adding a more bitter green. For its delicate flavor, Butter lettuce is a nutrient powerhouse. Reported in Recipes.net, it has a high water content, so it can help you stay hydrated. It’s also a good source of carotenoid antioxidants that protect your eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration. Considering its nutritional value, butterhead is definitely a great healthy food item to consider. 

Dandelion Greens - Sure, you don’t like to see them on your lawn and usually toss them, but dandelion greens can have a purpose if added to your salad. Personally, I’d only eat the ones from the grocery store, not from the yard. They are credited with a wide range of health benefits as professed in WebMD. They include controlling blood sugar, lowering blood pressure and inflammation. But how do they taste? Bitter. There’s just no way around it. Some people will soak the leaves in cold, salted water to remove some of the bitterness. 

Endive - This is a white elongated lettuce with green or reddish tips and is mildly bitter. It is crisp and adds a nice crunch to a salad. Endive lasts a long time in the refrigerator too - sometimes as much as three weeks. It is a source of thiamin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamins B6 and C, as well as folate and copper. It also contains intybin which is not only responsible for the bitter taste of the leaves but is also known to be an appetite stimulant and a digestive aid, as noted in Specialty Produce.

Escarole - For Italian wedding soup enthusiasts, escarole is a familiar green. Oftentimes found in other soups, escarole is also good raw when added to a salad. Escarole has very short, wide, and wavy leaves with darker ones outside and lighter green leaves inside. It’s a bit bitter, though not as bitter as radicchio but more bitter than romaine. Escarole provides a good source of vitamin K, folate, and vitamin A. Versailles Farms touts that escarole is a rich source of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium.  Escarole’s other benefits include reduced glucose levels, improved eyesight, stimulation of digestive enzymes, improved skin health and it acts as a natural diuretic.

Kale - I find that if you remove the ribbing and let kale sit in the salad dressing or massage the leaves with a little olive oil, it is a bit more tender. Kale is fairly trendy for a good reason. Consumption of kale has been reported to relieve symptoms of gastric ulcers, treat diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, bone weakness, ophthalmologic problems, hepatic disease, anemia, and obesity. Additionally, similar to other cruciferous vegetables, kale showed antioxidant and anticarcinogenic potential, according to the National Center for Biotechnology.

Radicchio - Its pleasant slightly bitter flavor and distinctive purple color make radicchio a great addition to a traditional salad. It holds up well to dressing and lasts for about two weeks in the refrigerator. It is low in calories and high in zinc, copper and vitamin K as reported in Healthline.  

Spinach - The deep dark green leaves of spinach are fairly common in the grocery store. It is fairly mild and sweet. For some, eating raw spinach in a salad is preferable to eating it cooked. According to Every Day Health, spinach is an excellent source of iron. Per the USDA, 1 cup of this healthy green delivers 3.72 mg of iron, as well as some protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins A and E.

Swiss chard - This is one healthy green that most people saute with onions and garlic, so it’s not often considered when eating raw in a salad due to its bitterness. Swiss chard can taste a bit like beets or beet greens. Masterclass touts swiss chard as a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, and antioxidants, making it a great immune system booster and aid in regulating blood sugar levels, digestion, and blood pressure.

Watercress - A bit peppery and fairly delicate, watercress should be eaten soon after buying, as it doesn’t last long in the refrigerator. It is nutrient dense and ranked number one on the CDC’s list of powerhouse vegetables. It contains Vitamin K, which is important for blood clotting and healthy bones. Because watercress is high in phytochemicals, it may reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer. In addition, it is packed with plant compounds called antioxidants that protect against cell damage caused by free radicals, as reported in Healthline.

So the next time you’re in the grocery store and want a change from a typical salad, why not consider a different green to add to that iceberg? You might find a new favorite!