Ok, we’re told we don’t tell enough stories, so I’m going to tell you a story about James and the head of lettuce.
When James does the grocery shopping each week, he always grabs some lettuce. How much he gets, though, isn’t very well calculated. As a result, some weeks he doesn’t get enough and can’t make the food he wants for his family. Other weeks he’s left with soggy, uneaten lettuce in his fridge. He has no plan and suffers all of the consequences.
What’s worse is that trying to figure out how much lettuce he should eat to be healthy is a bit daunting. Is it even good to eat lettuce regularly? James, who is overall a pretty intelligent guy, doesn’t actually know.
If you’re like James, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s the lowdown on how much lettuce you should eat in a given week:
Should I eat lettuce regularly?
Yes, you should eat lettuce regularly.
There’s a common misconception that lettuce isn’t that healthy or is nutritionally bankrupt, which stems largely from the myth that iceberg lettuce is bad for you. In reality, lettuce is a low-calorie way to get a wide variety of nutrients and fiber. You’ll need to eat a balanced diet, of course, but eating lettuce daily is a great way to give your health a boost.
Don’t take it from us, alone. We are the lettuce people, after all. Here’s what top publications are saying about consistent lettuce consumption:
- WebMD states that lettuce is healthy, contains few allergens, and is hard to eat too much of due to its low-calorie count.
- Health Digest mentions a recommended 85-90 gram daily serving of lettuce, only warning against eating it daily if you were to make it your primary source of nutrition. (Who is doing that?!)
- SFGate notes the high-quality fiber included in lettuce is great as most Americans don’t get an adequate amount of fiber, recommending that you increase your intake slowly if your diet is currently fiber deficient. Additionally, dietary vitamin K might be a concern if you are on blood thinners.
In other words, the consensus is not only that you can eat lettuce more often, most people probably should be eating more lettuce to increase fiber and get more nutrients in fewer calories.
What lettuce should I eat?
We’ve already mentioned the myth of iceberg lettuce being bad for you, but it is true that you should have some variety. Not all lettuce is made the same, and you’ll get different nutrition from each kind.
Take the nutrition data for 100 grams of both Arugula and Butterhead Lettuce. While both are greens, they have rather different nutritional profiles. Arugula has a surprisingly high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are especially important for vegetarians. Meanwhile, Butterhead Lettuce has 50% more Vitamin A while also containing half the sugar content of Arugula.
It’s why we recommend getting your greens from many sources and provide subscriptions packed with many types of lettuce. For example, our Spring Mix Plan contains Arugula, Butterhead, and five to six other types of lettuce with each delivery.
Weekly Lettuce Needs — The Basic Formula
To determine how much lettuce you need each week — from a variety of types — the basic formula is pretty simple:
Family Members x 2.5 ozs x 4 Days Eating Salads + Extra for Sandwiches
Here’s that broken down for you:
- Family Members x 2.5 ozs — Most experts agree that you need approximately 2.5 ozs of lettuce in your salad per person served. Naturally, this can be adjusted lower for young children or older people with lower appetites and higher for larger people or those who expend a lot of energy per day.
- 4 Days Eating Salads — You should aim for about four days of eating salads (at home) each week. Many Americans go out to eat once or twice a week and might skip out on salad for another vegetable-based dish once a week. Four days is a happy medium.
- Extra for Sandwiches — You won’t need a lot of lettuce for your sandwiches, but an extra 2-5 ozs or so is a good baseline.
So, let’s see how this looks for James and his family, which also consists of his wife, his teenage son, and his mother:
4 Family Members x 2.5 ozs x 4 Days Eating Salads + ~4 ozs for sandwiches = 44 ozs of lettuce
Next, let’s explore the best way for him to get the lettuce he needs each week:
How often should I buy lettuce?
Now that James knows he wants 44 oz. of lettuce for his family each week, he has to plan it out. Going to the grocery store for lettuce each week is okay, but he knows that he can do better. This is especially the case since the lettuce on store shelves can be up to 10 days old before it is sold. In other words, grocery store lettuce is not fresh.
Luckily, there are better options for you and James. Buying lettuce from a hyper-local farm gives you the best chance of getting truly fresh lettuce. At Farmoponics we can deliver lettuce to your door minutes, not days, after harvest. It’s for this reason that we offer weekly, bi-weekly, and even monthly lettuce subscriptions.
Of course, there are plenty of other great reasons to choose Farmoponics as your family’s weekly lettuce delivery service:
- We use a reusable bag that not only stores lettuce really well but also reduces waste and helps fight climate change.
- We can plan around you to ensure you get the freshest produce possible. Seriously, give us a call!
- We get to know our customers and their purchasing patterns, which helps us ensure we always have your favorite lettuce varieties on hand.
How can I get the right amount of lettuce regularly?
Take the regular planning out of your produce purchasing by subscribing via the Farmponics’ Shop.
We have three select plans with mixes that fit differing taste profiles. For more variety, each plan comes with free bonus surprises for each delivery and you can customize your order. We always send out surplus crops and samples of whatever we are growing for you to try. Here’s an overview of what each plan contains by default:
- Spring Mix Plan — The perfect combination of a mix of sweet and tender baby lettuce with a variety of crunchy, slightly bitter leafy greens. (Plus FREE BONUS). Perfect for a family of 3.
- Lettuce Mix Plan — The perfect combination of a variety of different types of crunchy, sweet, and tender lettuce to use in a salad, wrap, sandwich, or burger toppings. (Plus FREE BONUS). Perfect for a family of 3.
- Spicy Mix Plan — A tender base of green leaf lettuce with the perfect combination of spicy leaf and mustard greens and a little bit of Buttercrunch lettuce for added flavor and extra crispiness. (Plus FREE BONUS). Perfect for a family of 3.
- Custom Mix Plan — For the control freak! Get the greens of your choice delivered weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or one-time. (plus the FREE BONUS).
James starts with the Spring Mix Plan because his family isn’t too adventurous with their salads. To get up to the 44 oz. of weekly lettuce he needs, he adds an extra head of Monte Carlo Romaine, since that is his favorite for BLT sandwiches. He also adds an extra bunch of Ruby Red Swiss Chard, which is favored for its versatility. Finally, he makes sure to click “subscribe” before checking out so he can get his lettuce delivered fresh each week!
If you’re ready to do the same for your family and live in Toms River or the surrounding area, be sure to check out the Farmponics’ Shop!
