By Sheldon Margen and Dale A. Ogar With our focus in diet shifting away from high-fat foods and toward more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, it's time to take another look at the greens we put in salads.
Iceberg lettuce is just a little more nutritious than water. It has very little Vitamin A (converted from beta-carotene), vitamin C or calcium. The only salad green that ranks as low (or lower in some cases) is Belgian endive. On the opposite end of the spectrum, dandelion greens and kale are so high in some nutrients that you can actually meet a lot of your daily nutritional needs with them.
When people talk about "greens" they often mean leafy green vegetables that are meant to be cooked. Salad greens -- varieties of lettuce -- are almost always eaten raw. However, the small, young leaves of almost any green can be used in a salad and will not only will add variety but will raise the nutritional value enormously.
Although many greens are well known, we thought that a short refresher course would be in order. For comparison, note that the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A is 4,000-5,000 IU (based on the conversion of beta-carotene); the RDA for vitamin C is 60 mg; for iron, 10 mg for men and 15 for women; and for calcium, 800 mg (with older women being advised to consume 1,200 to 1,500 mg per day).
Each listing is for a 3.5-ounce serving of raw greens: ARUGULA (roquette or rocket): 7400 IU vitamin A; 91 mg vitamin C; 309 mg calcium; 1.2 mg of iron. Arugula has a peppery taste that will spice up a salad. It is also flavorful in stir-fries. BELGIAN ENDIVE: Also known as pale chicory, this salad green is tasty but more decorative than nutritious. Vitamin A: 0; Vitamin C: 10 mg; Calcium: 0; Iron: 0.5 mg BUTTERHEAD, BOSTON OR BIBB LETTUCE: Its light color indicates that it is not very nutritious (although certainly one of the tastiest). Vitamin A: 970 IU; Vitamin C: 8 mg; Calcium: 35 mg; Iron: 0.3 mg CHICORY: Chicory is also called curly endive. When it is red, it is called radicchio. Vitamin A: 4,000 IU; Vitamin C: 24 mg; Calcium: 100 mg; Iron: 0.9 mg COLLARDS: This is a relative of kale and a member of the cabbage family. Vitamin A: 3,300 IU; Vitamin C: 23 mg; Calcium: 117 mg; Iron: 0.6 mg DANDELION GREENS: Very nutritious and also high in fiber. The young leaves are great in salads, but older, tough leaves are also good sautéed. Vitamin A: 14,000 IU; Vitamin C: 35 mg; Calcium: 187 mg; Iron: 3.1 mg ESCAROLE: Escarole a broad-leafed form of endive. Vitamin A: 2,050 IU; Vitamin C: 6 mg; Calcium: 52 mg; Iron: 0.8 mg ICEBERG: This is like chewable water. Vitamin A: 330 IU; Vitamin C: 4 mg; Calcium 19 mg; Iron: 0.6 mg
KALE: The young leaves are best in salads and very high in fiber. Vitamin A: 8,900 IU; Vitamin C: 120 mg; Calcium: 135 mg; Iron: 1.7 mg LEAF LETTUCE: Comes in red and green varieties. Vitamin A: 1,900 IU; Vitamin C: 18 mg; Calcium: 68 mg; Iron: 1.4 mg MUSTARD GREENS: Have a strong flavor. Vitamin A: 5,300 IU; Vitamin C: 70 mg; Calcium: 103 mg; Iron: 1.5 mg ROMAINE (COS): Vitamin A: 2,600 IU; Vitamin C: 24 mg; Calcium: 36 mg; Iron: 1.1 mg SPINACH: A legendary green, but it is high in oxalates, which keep much of the iron and calcium from being absorbed. Vitamin A: 6,715 IU; Vitamin C: 28 mg; Calcium: 99 mg; Iron: 2.7 mg SWISS CHARD: This is really a beet, but only the stems and leaves are eaten. Vitamin A: 3,300 IU; Vitamin C: 30 mg; Calcium: 51 mg; Iron: 1.8 mg TURNIP GREENS: Very pungent in flavor. Only young leaves are good in salads. Vitamin A: 7,600 IU; Vitamin C: 60 mg; Calcium: 190 mg; Iron: 1.1 mg WATERCRESS: Look for dark green leaves that have not turned yellow. Vitamin A: 4,700 IU; Vitamin C: 43 mg; Calcium: 120 mg; Iron: 0. 2 mg Sheldon Margen, M.D., is a professor of public health at the University of California at Berkeley. Dale A. Ogar is managing editor of the University of California at Berkeley "Wellness Letter." They are the authors of "Wellness Kitchen Cookbook," "The Simply Healthy Lowfat Cookbook," "The Wellness Lowfat Cookbook" and "The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition."
Source: Health & Wellness
