How healthy are bagged salads? We toss the pros and cons of ready-made salad mixes.
Only 7 per cent of adults eat enough vegies — but the good news is that with the rise of bagged salads, it’s never been easier to lift your intake of health-giving greens. They’re portioned and often washed and ready to eat — so here’s how you can embrace the best they have to offer.
What’s in the crisper?
Available in single-serve, double-serve or larger family-sized packs, the main bagged salad selections are:
Leaves
Rocket, spinach, mesclun, iceberg lettuce, butter lettuce… these plain and simple greens are all winning choices, offering gut-loving fibre and a mixture of essential vitamins and minerals.
Slaws
The simple combo of cabbage and carrot is available, but you can also buy slaw mixes with nutritious additions such as beetroot, broccoli, celery, corn, kale and spring onion. Some come with a dressing sachet.
Salad kits
With a salad kit, all the trimmings are at your fingertips. Not only do the kits include a blend of leaves, other veg and a salad dressing, they can also come with toppers such as grains, noodles, croutons, cheese, nuts and seeds.
Are there any salad no-no’s?
If you’re shopping for a bagged salad, you’re doing a great thing for your health. Nonetheless, be mindful of the sodium content. While vegies contain next to no sodium, a salad‘s sodium content can increase drastically when dressing, noodles, cheese and croutons are added. So look for bagged salads with less than 400mg sodium per serve — the less, the better.
Lettuce celebrate!
Here are five easy ways to enjoy bagged salad:
➜ Cook up a bag of baby spinach for a toast, eggs and mushrooms brekkie.
➜ Dress a bag of fine-cut coleslaw with natural yoghurt and lemon juice to pair with tacos.
➜ Throw some sprouts into a stir-fry made of beef, tofu and vegies.
➜ Whip up a creative oriental salad with an Asian salad kit and salmon or chicken.
➜ Create a tasty pesto by blitzing a bag of rocket with extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and some pine nuts.
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FAQs
If you're shopping for a bagged salad, you're doing a great thing for your health. Nonetheless, be mindful of the sodium content. While vegies contain next to no sodium, a salad's sodium content can increase drastically when dressing, noodles, cheese and croutons are added.
What is the healthiest packaged salad? ›
Best: Bright Farms Mediterranean Crunch Kit
Bright Farms Mediterranean Crunch Kit includes heart-healthy ingredients such as feta cheese, roasted lentils, herbed flatbread, leafy greens, and a feta vinaigrette. Bright Farms salads are all pesticide-free and greenhouse-grown.
Which salad is the healthiest? ›
Some of the most nutritious greens include spinach, kale, romaine, watercress, and arugula (see "Salad greens by the numbers"). They are rich in a combination of vitamins A, C, and K; several B vitamins (including folate); and potassium.
Are salads healthy or not? ›
If you have plenty of fresh vegetables in the salad, then you are getting healthy, disease-fighting nutrients. Be mindful of the extra items you add to your vegetable salads, which may be high in saturated fat, sodium, or sugar. You want to include some fat in your salad.
How clean is bagged salad? ›
It's not so much that the industrial washing is inadequate, but more that bugs like E. coli, norovirus, and Salmonella can land on triple-washed bagged produce after the rinsing process occurs but before the packages are sealed, according to Havern.
How do I choose a healthy salad? ›
To make our salads a balanced meal, we want to fill that salad bowl with plenty of leafy greens, top it with plenty of other vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, pea pods - any of your favorites that add some texture or crunch.
How can you tell if a bagged salad is good? ›
When it comes to salad leaves, common signs of spoilage include wilting, sliminess, foul odor, or change of color, says Havern. "You should also check the bottom of the bag, because spoilage may occur at the bottom of the bag first," says Worobo.
Are raw salads good? ›
Salads are nutritious meals that aid in weight management, nutrient retention, and antioxidant intake, reducing the risk of chronic diseases. However, they may pose risks of food poisoning, nutrient deficiencies, and parasitic infections.
How to make bagged salad better? ›
Top With a Crunchy Element
If it offers a satisfying crunch, it belongs on your bagged salad. Nuts, bacon bits, seeds (flax, sesame, or sunflower work well), croutons, pita chips, or anything that suits your crunchy craving thrives on top of a salad.
What are the benefits of salad kits? ›
Balancing Flavors and Nutrients
The right mix can provide a powerful punch of nutrients while delighting the senses with its flavors and textures. As people become more aware of the foods they eat and the impact on their health, the popularity of salad mixes continues to grow.
Whole heads of lettuce (instead of bagged greens) may also be safer. While whole heads don't necessarily have lower bacteria levels than packaged greens, their inner leaves are less exposed to sources of contamination and are handled less than bagged greens. This reduces the opportunities for contamination.
Is salad good for your stomach? ›
Having a side salad ahead of a meal can prevent blood sugar spikes, improve digestion, and reduce bloating. Consuming raw vegetables high in water content ahead of a denser meal can help lubricate your digestive tract, making it easier for the food that follows to move easier through the body.
What is healthier than salad? ›
- Avocado Toast. Toast, indeed bread, in general, is often vilified and a no-go for many. ...
- Vegetable Soup. This can take any guise; a smooth creamy soup, a clear broth with chopped vegetables thrown in or a more chunky thick minestrone style soup. ...
- Hummus on Toast. ...
- Buddha Bowl. ...
- One Pan-fried Eggs and Veg.
Packaged Salads Are a Convenient Processed Food.
How many days should be left on a bagged salad? ›
Remove the nozzle, seal the bag completely and transfer the greens to the fridge. Treated and stored this way, greens can remain fresh for as long as nine days, versus the typical five days for untreated greens.
Is bagged salad already washed? ›
That bag of salad mix in your fridge has already undergone a three-step process to make sure there's no bacteria or foreign objects. The three steps in triple-washing include: A pre-wash at the farm to remove rocks, debris and insects. Being passed through two separate baths of sanitizing liquid at the processing site.
Why do bagged salads last so long? ›
In the case of lettuce in a bag, the modified atmosphere does two things. First, it changes the way the green leaves behave. The green leaves are still alive, even after you pick the lettuce, and you want to keep them alive as long as possible by changing their behavior. Second, it discourages bacteria.
