Making a salad at the dining hall requires some serious decision-making, the most important of which being which salad greens to pick. There’s the classic romaine, fancy looking spring mix and the not-lettuce spinach. Picking any of the three puts you on the path to healthy eating, but which one is best? I’m here to break down of all three:
Romaine
Photo by Sally Kim
Ah romaine, the classic salad green. With its clean taste and crisp texture, this beloved vegetable is a perfect match for a Caesar salad, or any salad of your preference. There’s no going wrong starting off here. And with 35% of your daily vitamin C, about 20% of daily vitamin A and a gram of protein per 2 cups, it’s a solid pick.
Spring Mix
So what exactly is spring mix? It’s a combination of various greens and lettuce from baby romaine to arugula and chard.
Photo by Sally Kim
The mysterious purple and green leaves and strange stringy pieces the make up spring mix offer a bitter flavor that some prefer. It’s certainly an exciting option—and a nutrient packed one too. Every 2 cups has a whopping 90% of your daily vitamin A, 50% of your daily vitamin C and 20% of your daily iron.
Spinach
Photo by Sally Kim
There’s a reason Popeye ate spinach—it’s crazy good for you. Spinach has it’s own texture and taste that’s distinctly not lettuce. Slightly bitter and oddly soft, spinach will definitely get your body going with 160% of your daily vitamin A, 2 grams of protein, 40% of your daily vitamin C and 15% of your daily iron in every 2 cups.
So next time you’re caught trying to decide between the three, know which ones pack the punch nutrition wise and which ones just taste better. Or you could just be indecisive and put all three on your plate. No judgments here.