The salad brings crunch, freshness and lightness to our meals. However, without precautions, it quickly withers and loses its nutrients. To avoid waste and preserve its nutritional qualities, here are five practical tips from experts.
Check the quality of your salad before buying it
It all starts at shopping time. Always choose a very firm salad, without spots or damaged leaves.
Indeed, according to Drew McDonald, an American food safety expert interviewed by Eating Well, “before buying a salad, check that it is not damaged and if you buy it in a bag, take into account the expiry date”.
Dietitian Eva Vacheau shares this observation. “A well-chosen salad from the start, with very green, firm and not at all damaged leaves, also retains the vitamins and crunchiness better.
When doing your shopping, also take the opportunity to vary the pleasures. Indeed, not all salads are equal from a nutritional point of view. “Their vitamin, mineral and antioxidant content varies depending on color and variety. The darker, more intense green, red or purple the leaves, the richer they are in micronutrients. adds the dietician.
For example, lettuce is rich in vitamins A, K and B9, while the highly pigmented red oak leaf contains antioxidants like polyphenols and anthocyanins.
The expert’s favorite choice? Watercress. “This remains for me the most nutritious salad, because it concentrates vitamins A, C and K, as well as calcium and iron.
Store it properly after opening
Once at home, preserving the food is a decisive step. Salad packages are designed to regulate humidity and air circulation. Once opened, their effectiveness decreases.
“The expiration date is a great guide, but it’s not an absolute“explains McDonald. “It’s not about extending shelf life, it’s about maximizing it.”
To do this, transfer the salad leaves to an airtight container or freezer bag lined with absorbent paper to avoid excess moisture. Then store your salad in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. “It is better to wash and drain the salad just before eating it. This really helps preserve freshness over several days.” assures Eva Vacheau.
Avoid cross contamination
Because lettuce is eaten raw, it must be avoided that it comes into contact with risky raw foods, such as meat or eggs. Drew McDonald emphasizes this emphatically.
“Treat lettuce as you would raw meat. Not because it is contaminated, but to prevent it from becoming so. he warns. If your salad has come into contact with raw food in your refrigerator, throw it away.
Never wash lettuce with soap or bleach
Even if food hygiene is essential, certain actions should be banned. For example, wash your salad with detergent.
“Never use soap or bleach to wash fresh fruit or vegetables, as these products are not intended for consumption.” also warns the food safety expert. A simple rinse with cold water is enough to remove dust and impurities, without damaging the fragile leaves or leaving toxic residue.
Rinse only before consuming
Washing should only be done at the time of consumption. If you rinse the entire salad in advance, it will retain too much water, causing it to wilt more quickly. Run the leaves under a stream of cold water, squeeze them gently, then dry them using a clean cloth or absorbent paper.
“The real secret is to manage humidity well. A well-drained salad kept dry retains its crunch and remains full of freshness” reveals Eva Vacheau.
The reflexes to adopt to prolong freshness
To keep your salad longer, keep it in its original, tightly closed packaging.
- If the bag is already opened, remove the air before closing it and secure it with pliers;
- As a reminder, there is no need to wash products already labeled “ready to eat”;
- Finally, avoid putting the leaves already taken out back into the original bag, as this encourages cross-contamination.
By following these simple tips, you’ll enjoy crunchy, flavorful, nutrient-rich greens.