Nutritional information
The variety of highly nutritious leaves available in mixed salad bags can make a substantial contribution to the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of many essential vitamins and minerals. The table below highlights the results of recent research and shows the percentage of RDA provided by 100g of salad.
These test results clearly demonstrate that salad packs are nutritious in their own right as well as providing a base for other healthy salad ingredients. As is widely understood, there are many benefits of including fruit and veg in the diet. Watercress and spinach, for instance, contain lutein, which may help maintain healthy eyesight, while watercress and rocket also contain glucosinolates, which scientific studies suggest have powerful anti cancer effects.
| Nutrient | Watercress, Spinach & Rocket Salad | Herb Salad | Tatsoi Salad | Crisp Mix Salad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A (as beta-carotene equivalents) | 44% | 80% | 40% | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 20% | 12% | 9% | 15% |
| Vitamin E | 15% | 7% | 4% | 1% |
| Folate | 74% | 34% | 28% | 21% |
| Iron | 13% | 10% | 7% | 4% |
| Calcium | 28% | 12% | 10% | 5% |
| Magnesium | 9% | 7% | 5% | 3% |
| Zinc | 3% | 2% | 1.5% | 1% |
Another benefit of fresh prepared salad leaves is the way in which they are packaged and stored. Recent tests showed the vitamin C content of Romaine (Cos) lettuce to be up to 20% greater in packs with a modified atmosphere after 5 days than in packs exposed to the air. The visual appearance was also vastly superior.
WHERE TO FIND YOUR FOLATE – IT’S IN THE BAG
A staggering 90 per cent of women are not getting enough folate in their diet, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Folate is a B Vitamin that has long been known for its role in making new body cells, and a growing body of research suggests that folate also help to protect against heart disease. But new research suggests that folate may have other benefits such as helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and reducing the risk of breast cancer in women who have a high level of alcohol consumption.
Salad packs are an easy way to boost your folate intake. A recent study has shown that a 100g fresh prepared salad pack can provide up to 74% of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of folate, depending on which variety you choose. The general rule is that the darker the leaf, the more folate it contains, with watercress, spinach and rocket salad providing 74% of the RDA, herb salad providing 34% of the RDA, tatsoi salad providing 28% and crisp mix salad 21%.
Top nutritionist Fiona Hunter says: “Rather worryingly the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that 86% of women aged 19-24yrs and 92% of women aged 25-34yrs were consuming less than the recommended daily amount of folate. The benefits of folate are worth every bite, and a salad pack is a quick and convenient way for anyone looking to boost their intake of folate to the recommended daily amount.”
The Alzheimer’s Society tells us that people with low levels of folate or Vitamin B12 may be at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It seems likely that the deficiencies in these vitamins allow an increase in the levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, which is known to be yet another risk factor for heart disease.
We need homocysteine to grow and maintain healthy tissue, but too much of it is strongly linked to disorder of blood vessels and in turn to heart disease. A possible link, therefore, may be between vascular risk factors and dementia. Several studies suggest that too much homocysteine can increase our risk of getting dementia. Other research has failed to find a link, which is why carefully controlled trials are needed to show whether or not folate is beneficial in preventing or treating dementia, and if so, in what form and at what dose.
Meanwhile, an Australian study suggests that increasing folate intake could mitigate the risk of breast cancer in women who have a high level of alcohol consumption. Scientists from the University of Melbourne worked alongside a team from Cancer Council Victoria to assess the amount of dietary folate and alcohol in the diet of 17,447 middle-aged Anglo-Australian women.
Although no link could be found between breast cancer and either alcohol or folate, “women who had a high alcohol consumption and low intake of folate had an increased risk of breast cancer, but those women who had a high alcohol consumption and moderate to high levels of folate intake had no increased risk”.
The conclusion drawn was that women could limit damage sustained from excessive alcohol consumption by increasing the amount of folate in their diet.
Salad bags are also a quick and easy way to reach your 5-a-day and make a significant contribution to the RDA of many other essential vitamins and minerals. Whether you want to boost the immune system, cleanse the skin, improve circulation, build bones or slim down, a diet rich in salad can help.
