One of my favorite sayings is \"turning over a new leaf\" and today as I was thinking about it, it made sense to me in a new way. It's time we all started \"Turning over a new leaf\" as in lettuce and leafy greens.Iceberg lettuce is one of the mainstays in salad making that has frustrated me for a long time. No wonder people don't like salads or else smother them in fatty dressings! All they know is that see-through lettuce as the foundation for their salad. You've seen them before in cafeterias, restaurants and in the bag in the grocery store: hunks of insipid lettuce interspersed with thin strips of red cabbage and a wayward carrot shred or two — not too appetizing. But we do eat this \"salad\" just because it's \"healthy\" or so we think. And yet the flavor is nearly nonexistent and the texture isn't pleasing either. I haven't even mentioned the nutritional facts yet. With iceberg, nearly nil. Why bother?Forgive me for bashing a poor defenseless head of lettuce, but I've got a good point here: eating healthy doesn't have to be a boring and tasteless experience! Even when it comes to lettuce, there are indeed other options — tasty ones in fact. So let's literally \"turn over a new leaf\" shall we? Here are some new choices for your salad foundation, with a description beside each one:Butterhead lettuce: Boston and Bibb are two well known types. These lettuces have round smallish heads with delicate rich flavor.Red leaf lettuce: Can also be called Red Oak Leaf. A tender lettuce with dark red in the leaf and a lovely, full-flavored taste. Green leaf lettuce: Can also be called Green Oak Leaf. This is a little heartier than the Red Leaf and the flavor a little more bitter.Romaine lettuce: Sometimes you can buy Red Romaine, but it's less available than regular green Romaine. This is a hearty lettuce that is standard stuff for Cesar salads and stands up well to a lots of ingredients and a good tossing.There you go — some standard lettuces to help you expand your salad repertoire. Next week, we'll talk about some delicious salad \"add ins\"! Salads are such a wonderful way to get your nutrients in — remember, the more colorful your salad, the healthier it is. Enjoy!Next week: Lettuce 2.0
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