Healthy Benefits of Eating Salad Greens

• More than 100% of the recommended amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin K to help with vision and blood clotting.
• Salad greens are also a good source of manganese that helps to support the immune system. 
• Also an excellent source of Vitamin C. 

How to Pick and Store Salad Greens

• Look for dark green leaves. Choose lettuce heads that are compact and firm.
• These green vegetables are alive! They are respiring which means they need moisture and air to survive.
• The heads of lettuce should be stored at the store in a cooler with misters to keep the leaves damp so they don’t wilt. 
• Rinse lettuce with cold water or soak loose leaves in cool water and stir with your hand to remove dirt. Lay lettuce leaves on a paper towel and gently pat dry.

Serving Suggestions for Salad Greens

• Serve side salads for lunch and dinner.
• Try different types of salad greens to find out which kinds of lettuce your child likes most.
• Ask your child to “invent” their own salad. Let them pick out the vegetables and other toppings they want to use.
• Bring color to your salads by adding carrot strips, shredded purple cabbage, or even fruit (e.g., oranges, apples, raisins).
• Dark lettuce leaves have more nutrients.
• Use 100 percent fruit juice, flavored vinegars and herbs to make low-fat salad dressings.

People have been eating leafy greens since prehistoric times. But it wasn't until the first Africans arrived in North America in the early 1600s that America got its first real tastes of dark green leafy vegetables, which they grew for themselves and their families. So, over the years, cooked greens developed into a traditional African American food. Ultimately, they became essential in Southern regional diets and are now enjoyed nationwide.

Dark green leafy vegetables are great sources of nutrition. Salad greens, kale and spinach are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K, and broccoli, bok choy and mustard are also rich in many of the B-vitamins. These vegetables also contain an abundance of carotenoids-antioxidants that protect cells and play roles in blocking the early stages of cancer. They also contain high levels of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Furthermore, greens have very little carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol.

The dark greens supply a significant amount of folate, a B vitamin that promotes heart health and helps prevent certain birth defects. Folate is also necessary for DNA duplication and repair which protects against the development of cancer. Several large studies have shown that high intakes of folate may lower the risk of colon polyps by 30 to 40 percent compared to low intakes of this vitamin. Other research suggests that diets low in folate may increase the risk of cancers of the breast, cervix and lung.

The vitamin K contents of dark green leafy vegetables provide a number of health benefits including: protecting bones from osteoporosis and helping to prevent against inflammatory diseases.

Because of their high content of antioxidants, green leafy vegetables may be one of the best cancer-preventing foods. Studies have shown that eating 2 to 3 servings of green leafy vegetables per week may lower the risk of stomach, breast and skin cancer. These same antioxidants have also been proven to decrease the risk of heart disease.

Perhaps one of the most appealing benefits of dark green leafy vegetables is their low calorie and carbohydrate contents and their low glycemic index. These features make them an ideal food to facilitate achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Adding more green vegetables to a balanced diet increases the intake of dietary fiber which, in turn, regulates the digestive system and aids in bowel health and weight management. These properties are particularly advantageous for those with type-2 diabetes.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends increasing average intakes of fruits and vegetables, particularly those that provide more vitamins, minerals and fiber. Dark leafy greens fulfill this need. Many varieties of greens are available in the American markets-the most popular are collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, spinach and kale.

Eating dark green leafy vegetables is vital to a healthy, balanced diet. There are many ways to enjoy a meal with leafy greens:

• Make a salad: Keep salads interesting by varying their colors, textures and varieties. Perk them up with small tender leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach and arugula mixed with different kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots.
• Wrap it up: Make a wrap with tuna, chicken or turkey and add romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula, and other veggies for some extra flavor.
• Add to soup: Add greens with larger, tougher leaves such as collard greens, kale or mustard greens into your favorite soup.
• Stir-fry: Add chopped spinach, bok choy or broccoli to chicken or tofu stir-fried with olive or canola oil with some garlic, onion or ginger.
• Steamed: Steaming collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach until they are slightly soft.
• In an omelet: Add steamed broccoli and/or spinach to an egg-white omelet for a vitamin and iron rich meal.

Cooked greens can include a variety of (green!) leafy vegetables like collard, mustard, kale, swiss chard, spinach, and bok choy! Their super power is that they are rich in antioxidants, which help fight aging and disease. The darker the color, the higher levels of antioxidants the vegetable has!

While each nutrient make-up is different for each type of green, leafy cooked greens are often rich in:

• Vitamin C—a powerful antioxidant for your immune system.
• Vitamin E—great for eye health.
• Vitamin A—for cell health.
• Vitamin K—known to help decrease the risk of certain cancers.

Did You Know?

• When you cook leafy greens, the taste of the vegetable changes and more of the nutrients become available to your digestive system!
• Cooked greens are low in sugar, carbohydrates, sodium, and cholesterol!
• Dandelion greens are edible (yes the weed) and enhance heart and liver health! If you’re picking dandelion greens from the lawn, make sure they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides that can make you sick!

How to Harvest and Store Cooked Greens

Keep unwashed greens in a plastic bag in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for 3 days, or 5 days if wrapped in a wet paper towel. Edible greens will have fresh, green leaves. Do not eat leaves that appear wilted or yellow in color to avoid rot.

Tips to Get Children to Eat Cooked Greens

• Add to sandwiches and wraps
• Toss into a green smoothie
• Make a fun kabob stick with their favorite foods
• Add to a breakfast omelet

Ways to Eat Cooked Greens

• Steam
• Sauté
• Bake
• Boil

Turn over a new leaf! With so many types of leafy greens available it can be difficult to know where to start, so we’ve gathered some information about various leafy greens as well as delicious ways to prepare and eat them (besides salads!).

Counseling Corner

Leafy greens contain potassium, folate/folic acid, iron, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin A, just to name a few! Besides being nutrition superstars, leafy greens are delicious raw or cooked, and can be the star of the meal or the perfect side dish.

Tips & Ideas to Share

There are so many varieties of leafy greens to choose from and they’re not just for dinner. Nutrient rich leafy greens can be a perfect addition to breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack!

Types of Leafy Greens

• Romaine: Crisp and crunchy, this salad staple is easy to find in most grocery stores and may be a great intro salad green for little ones due to its crunch and mild flavor.

• Kale: Dark green and with a coarse texture, kale is delicious raw in a salad or cooked. Some common types of kale available include curly kale or lacinato kale, which has a smoother leaf.

• Collard greens: Collard greens are a southern side dish staple. The leaves are sturdy, so they hold up well to longer cooking times in soups or braises.

• Spinach: You can find spinach pre-washed or in loose leaf bunches in the supermarket. Baby spinach may be better suited for salads, and larger spinach leaves for cooking recipes.

• Arugula: This delicate green has a peppery taste and is perfect in a salad, as a sandwich topper, or sprinkled on top of a vegetable pizza!

• Mustard greens: These greens live up to their name and have a flavorful bite that is similar to the famous yellow condiment. Mustard greens are usually enjoyed cooked due to their strong flavor but can also be added to other greens for a flavorful salad.

• Swiss chard: Ribbons of jewel tone colors in the stem make this green fun to eat and prepare! Sauteed, it is an easy, colorful side dish or add it to soups and stews.

• Bok choy: This popular leafy green is common in Chinese and other Asian dishes. It’s sometimes described as peppery and can be prepared by steaming, stir-frying, or braising. You may even find it in a smaller size, sometimes called baby bok choy.

• Bitter melon leaves: These leafy greens can be found in cuisines in Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, East Africa, and the Caribbean. A delicacy in Indian culinary, bitter melon leaves have a bitter taste. The leaves are often boiled, stewed or sauteed in recipes. 

Many leafy greens can be substituted for each other in recipes. For example, spinach and kale can usually be swapped for each other. Hearty greens like kale, turnip, beet, mustard and collard greens also substitute well for each other. 

Tips for Getting Started

Wash first: First things first, start by washing hands before preparing food. Then wash leafy greens before eating and preparing.

Pre-washed: Some salad greens found in plastic bags or containers are pre-washed and don’t need to be rewashed. Be sure to read the label and if in doubt, give greens a rinse.

Cutting and chopping: Some leafy greens have a thick stem, and this can be cut out. Then chop or slice to your desired size and shape.

Tearing: Greens like romaine and kale are perfect for tearing instead of chopping. Tearing leafy greens can be a fun, safe activity to help introduce leafy greens to children.

Tips for Cooking and Using

Cooking: Hearty greens like collard, Swiss chard, and mustard are often cooked. They can be sauteed, braised (simmered in a cooking liquid) or added directly to soups and stews.

Flavor: Adding flavor to greens is easy. Seasonings like onions, garlic, herbs and spices all add flavor without adding salt or sodium. If using broth as a cooking liquid, consider using a low-sodium broth to boost flavor while reducing the amount of added sodium.

Bitter flavor: Some greens like kale, mustard and collard greens have a bitter flavor. Adding a splash of acid like vinegar or citrus juice at the end of cooking can help contrast the bitterness.

Smoothies: Greens like spinach and kale can be incorporated into fruit smoothies for a fun green treat. Be sure to add the greens first into the blender and then blend well to desired smoothness. 

Frozen: Some greens, like spinach, can be found in the frozen food aisle. Thawed greens can be an easy addition to a casserole and some recipes may even call for frozen greens. Check to see if your State agency includes frozen vegetables on its authorized food list.

Raw salad greens may be difficult to chew for the youngest participants and cooked greens may be an easier option when introducing leafy greens to toddlers and children.

Are leafy greens safe to eat?

Millions of servings of leafy greens are eaten safely every day in the United States. But leafy greens are occasionally contaminated enough to make people sick. To reduce your chance of getting sick, always follow the steps for safely handling and preparing leafy greens before eating or serving them.

Are leafy greens safe for my pet to eat?

Some animals can get sick from some germs that also make people sick. Always follow the steps for safely handling and preparing leafy greens before feeding them to pets and other animals. Never feed recalled food to pets or other animals.

Do I need to wash all leafy greens?

Prewashed greens don’t need to be washed again. If the label on a leafy greens package says any of the following, you don’t need to wash the greens:

• Ready-to-eat
• Triple washed
• No washing necessary

Prewashed greens sometimes cause illness. But the commercial washing process removes most of the contamination that can be removed by washing.

All other leafy greens should be thoroughly washed before eating, cutting, or cooking.

What is the best way to wash leafy greens?

The best way to wash leafy greens is by rinsing them under running water. Studies show that this step removes some of the germs and dirt on leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits. But no washing method can remove all germs.

Follow these steps to wash leafy greens that you plan to eat raw:

• Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before and after preparing leafy greens.
• Get rid of any torn or bruised leaves. Also, get rid of the outer leaves of cabbages and lettuce heads.
• Rinse the remaining leaves under running water. Use your hands to gently rub them to help get rid of germs and dirt.
• Dry leafy greens with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Should I soak leafy greens before washing them?

No. Do not soak leafy greens. If you soak them in a sink, germs in the sink can contaminate the greens. If you soak them in a bowl, germs on one leaf can spread to the other leaves. Rinsing leafy greens under running water is the best way to wash them.

Should I wash leafy greens with vinegar, lemon juice, soap, detergent, or produce wash?

Use plain running water to wash leafy greens and other produce. Kitchen vinegar and lemon juice may be used, but CDC is not aware of studies that show vinegar or lemon juice are any better than plain running water.

Do not wash leafy greens or other produce with soap, detergent, or produce wash. Do not use a bleach solution or other disinfectant to wash produce.

What other food safety steps should I keep in mind when I select, store, and prepare leafy greens and other produce?

• Select leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits that aren’t bruised or damaged.
• Make sure pre-cut produce, such as bagged salad or cut fruits and vegetables, is refrigerated or on ice at the store.
• Separate produce from raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs in your shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator.
• Store leafy greens, salads, and all pre-cut and packaged produce in a clean refrigerator with the temperature set to 40°F or colder.
• Use separate cutting boards and utensils for produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. If that isn’t an option, prepare produce before working with raw meat.
• Wash utensils, cutting boards, and kitchen surfaces with hot, soapy water after each use.
• Cook thoroughly or throw away any produce that touches raw meat, poultry, seafood or their juices.
• Refrigerate cooked or cut produce, including salads, within 2 hours (1 hour if the food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F, like a hot car or picnic).

How do leafy greens get contaminated with germs?

Germs that make people sick can be found in many places, including in the soil, in the feces or poop of animals, in refrigerators, and on kitchen surfaces.

Germs can contaminate leafy greens at many points before they reach your plate. For example, germs from animal poop can get in irrigation water or fields where the vegetables grow. Germs can also get on leafy greens in packing and processing facilities, in trucks used for shipping, from the unwashed hands of food handlers, and in the kitchen. To prevent contamination, leafy greens should be grown and handled safely at all points from farm to fork.

How common are outbreaks linked to leafy greens?

In 2014–2018, a total of 51 foodborne disease outbreaks linked to leafy greens (mainly lettuce) were reported to CDC. Five of the 51 were multistate outbreaks that led CDC to warn the public. Among those five outbreaks, two were linked to packaged salads, two were linked to romaine lettuce, and one could not be linked to a specific type of leafy greens.

Most recently, in 2019–2021, CDC investigated and warned the public about nine multistate outbreaks linked to leafy greens. Among those outbreaks, six were linked to packaged salads, one was linked to romaine lettuce, one was linked to baby spinach, and one could not be linked to a specific type of leafy greens. Learn about these outbreaks.

Most foodborne illnesses are not part of a recognized outbreak. The nearly 2,000 illnesses reported in 2014–2020 outbreaks linked to leafy greens represent only a small part of illnesses caused by contaminated leafy greens during those years.

Does CDC warn the public about every foodborne disease outbreak?

No. CDC does not warn the public about every foodborne outbreak—including ones linked to leafy greens. Some reasons for this include:

• Most sources of foodborne outbreaks are never identified.
• By the time a source is identified, it might no longer be in stores, restaurants, or homes. This can happen with foods that are perishable (foods that spoil or go bad quickly), such as leafy greens.
• Most outbreaks affect people in only one state, so local or state health departments lead the work to identify, investigate, and communicate about those outbreaks. CDC typically communicates only about outbreaks that affect people in more than one state.

Investigating outbreaks linked to leafy greens can be especially challenging. These outbreaks often go unidentified or unsolved.

What should I do with leafy greens that are part of a recall?

• Never eat, serve, or sell food that has been recalled, even if some of it was eaten and no one got sick.
• Return the recalled food to the store or throw it away at home.
  • Throw out the recalled food and any other foods stored with it or that touched it.
  • Put it in a sealed bag in an outside garbage can with a tight lid (so animals cannot get to it).
  • If the recalled food was stored in a reusable container, wash the container in the dishwasher or with hot, soapy water.
• Follow CDC’s instructions for cleaning your refrigerator after a food recall.

Are organic leafy greens less likely to be contaminated than non-organic ones?

All kinds of produce, including organic leafy greens, can be contaminated with harmful germs at any point from farm to fork. CDC is not aware of any evidence that organic greens are safer.

Are hydroponic or greenhouse-grown leafy greens less likely to be contaminated?

Leafy greens grown using these methods also can be contaminated with harmful germs at any point from farm to fork.

How do I keep leafy greens in my garden safe to eat?

Home gardens can be an excellent source of fruits and vegetables. Follow these tips to help prevent food poisoning:

• Plant your garden away from animal pens, compost bins, and manure piles.
• Water your garden with clean, drinkable water.
• Keep dirty water, including storm runoff, away from the parts of plants you will eat.

Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Leafy vegetables (called leafy greens), such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, kale, and bok choy, provide nutrients that help protect you from heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.

But leafy greens, like other vegetables and fruits, are sometimes contaminated with harmful germs. Washing leafy greens does not remove all germs. That’s because germs can stick to the surface of leaves and even get inside them. If you eat contaminated leafy greens without cooking them first, such as in a salad or on a sandwich, you might get sick.

• CDC estimates that germs on produce eaten raw cause a large percentage of U.S. foodborne illnesses.
• Leafy greens and other vegetable row crops are a major source of E. coli O157 infections.
• Other harmful germs found on leafy greens include norovirus, Salmonella, Listeria, and Cyclospora.

Although anyone can get a foodborne illness, sometimes called food poisoning, some groups of people are more likely to get one and to have a serious illness. These groups include:

• Adults aged 65 and older
• Children younger than 5 years
• People who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness (a weakened immune system)
• Pregnant people

• Americans eat about 30 pounds of lettuce every year. That’s about five times more than what we ate in the early 1900s.

• In the United States, lettuce is the second most popular fresh vegetable (behind potatoes and tomatoes which are technically fruits).

• The salad green variety referred to as mache is also nicknamed lamb’s lettuce for its tender, velvety leaves.

• The ancient wild relative of lettuce contained a sedative-like compound. Ancient Romans and Egyptians would take advantage of this property by eating lettuce at the end of a meal to help induce sleep.