February 9, 2012
- Roseburg, Oregon
Diet Detective: Salad Greens: Bibb, Watercress, Mesclun and Belgian Endive
By Charles Stuart Platkin
These greens are refreshing, satisfying, super-low in calories and very high in nutrients. Keep on the lookout for some of these fabulous foods.
Bibb and Boston
Appearance: Bibb and Boston are the best-known types of butterhead lettuce. They have round, loosely formed heads and a soft buttery texture. Outer leaves are pale green, becoming pale yellow on the inside. Bibb is smaller than Boston and more valued by gourmets.
Taste: Mild, sweet flavor.
Health Perks: Low in calories, a good source of vitamin A and folate.
Nutrition Stats: (1 cup shredded or chopped, 55 grams) 7 calories, 0.12g fat, 1.23g carbs, 0.6g fiber, 0.74g protein, 1,822 IU vitamin A, 2mg vitamin C, 3.79mg iron.
Use: Salads, sandwiches and as a bed for other foods. Serve with low-calorie creamy dressings and lighter vinaigrettes.
Purchasing: Select heads that appear fresh, of good color, without wilted leaves.
Storage: “Do not store in the same crisper drawer as fruits that release ethylene gas such as apples, pears and bananas. Refrigerate unwashed, in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper drawer. Wash gently before serving and pat or spin dry. Optimum storage life is around three to four days,” says Alice Henneman, M.S., R.D., of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County.
Watercress
Appearance: Sold in bunches of small, rounded, dark green leaves attached to stems.
Taste: Watercress is distinguished by its peppery, slightly bitter flavor. “This pungent note makes watercress a flavorful addition when mixed with other greens and ingredients in a salad. To kick up the flavor of an egg or chicken salad sandwich, tuck in a few sprigs of watercress. Still have some watercress left in your bunch? Chop and mix a few sprigs into a chicken or potato soup just before serving,” says Henneman.
Health Perks: Jam-packed with vitamin A and C. It also has 41 milligrams of calcium (4 percent of daily values). “Folklore has it the Persian King Xerxes ordered his soldiers to eat watercress to keep healthy. In the past, it has been touted for everything from curing baldness (rub the juice into the scalp) to a hangover cure to an aphrodisiac – none of which (unfortunately) has been proved true,” says Henneman.
Nutrition Stats: (1 cup, chopped) 4 calories, 0.03g fat, 0.44g carbs, 0.78g protein, 1,598 IU vitamin A, 14.6mg vitamin C, 41mg calcium.
Use: “The most common culinary uses are in salads, cream soups, sandwiches and as a garnish. When serving, remove any tough stems and serve only the leaves and tender stems. Replace the traditional parsley garnish with a sprig of watercress to give a fresh appearance to a plate,” says Henneman.
Purchasing: Look for crisp green leaves. Avoid yellow or wilting leaves.
Storage: “The most frequently recommended method is to remove the band holding the stems together, stand the watercress in water, cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate,” says Henneman. Wash under cool running water before serving and pat or spin dry. Optimum storage life is around three to four days.
Mesclun
Appearance: According to Wiley Mullins, author of Salad Makes the Meal (Rodale, 2008), “Mesclun isn't a salad green, but rather the Provencal name for a mixture of small salad leaves that often includes arugula, frisee, romaine, mache, dandelion, red radicchio, herbs (parsley, chervil and others) and cos lettuce. Mesclun varies in look and texture because the variety of greens.”
Taste: Both bitter and sweet, depending on the combination of ingredients.
Health Perks: The individual salad greens offer enormous health benefits. “For instance, dandelion greens, a popular mesclun green, is a star, with a ½-cup serving offering 61 percent of the recommended daily values of vitamin A, a good source of beta carotene and vitamin C,” says Mullins. In general, since mesclun is literally a mixed bag of lettuces, it is high in vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin C and folate.
Nutrition Stats: (1 cup) 10 calories, 0g fat, 2g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein.
Use: The perfect blend of mild salad greens for an appetizer or side salad.
Purchasing: Can be costly and hard to find. “Only purchase when available unbagged. Check all leaves to determine their sturdiness. Wilted leaves should not be purchased,” says Mullins.
Storage: “Store mesclun in the warmest and most humid section of the refrigerator. The leaves should be stored in plastic bags with fork holes throughout to allow air circulation,” says Mullins.
Belgian Endive
Appearance: Long, textured, broad, thick leaves. Lighter green at the core end, darker and somewhat leafy at the tips.
Taste: Slightly bitter with a crisp and sturdy texture. “It can be blanched to make the taste more delicate. Use endive with other, sweeter ingredients, like citrus and apples, to counteract its natural bitterness,” says Mullins.
Health Perks: Good source of vitamin A. Also has potassium, calcium, iron and zinc.
Nutrition Stats: (1 cup, chopped) 8 calories, 0.1g fat, 1.67g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 0.62g protein, 1,084 IU vitamin A, 3.2mg vitamin C, 26mg calcium.
Use: “Belgian endive is perfect for a salad that lacks texture. It is excellent for warm salads because its sturdy leaves won't easily wilt from warmth or heat,” says Mullins.
Purchasing: Available year-round. “Always purchase the palest color endive you can find because the paler the color the less bitter the flavor,” says Mullins. Also make sure the heads are crisp and firm.
Storage: “Endive grows best in darkness and should be kept away from light even in the refrigerator. Store in a brown paper bag in the veggie bin. If your head of endive looks weak, strengthen it by placing the head in water,” says Mullins. Make sure to rinse in cold water prior to use.
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CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder of DietDetective.com, and host of the new WE tv series I Want To Save Your Life. Copyright 2008-2009 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com
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