Don't underestimate its value: what you didn't know about lettuce and all the reasons to add it to your meal Dr. Maya Roseman

Lettuce: nothing less than a vegetable ! When you check the food composition tables for what lettuce contains, you discover a huge abundance of important antioxidants that prevent many diseases, folic acid and iron, selenium and other minerals.

If you compare the antioxidant content to other vegetables that are sometimes popular in the market, you can find that lettuce contains just as many antioxidants and even more. A combination of only four lettuce leaves in a salad swells the salad twice and contributes to prolonged satiety three times more than a salad without lettuce.

Lettuce leaves contain almost no calories and their contribution to reducing the consumption of sugars and snacks is enormous. Personally, I don't have a salad without lettuce. It is available all year round, costs very little compared to "super" vegetables, and significantly upgrades any salad.

What do you do with lettuce that has been in the fridge for a week?

It's a shame to throw it away because the nutritional value of the lettuce is preserved. It has a lot of dietary fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin K and also chlorophyll. It is very satisfying and its caloric value is zero.

Instead of throwing away the lettuce, there is a trick I learned 30 years ago: wash the lettuce leaves and tear them into medium tears. Put the pieces in a bowl filled with very cold water and a spoonful of sugar – yes, a spoonful of sugar. Soak for about an hour, maybe a little more. The lettuce absorbs the water and also a little of the sugar, becoming more "crispy" than fresh lettuce and also tastier.

To expand on the subject of lettuce, I would like to broadcast Zanzori – Lettuce Grower. Listen: