Brought to you by Viva Vegetables

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1 How to Nourish With salad greens Brought to you by Viva Vegetables A Utah State University Extension and Nutrition and Food Sciences Department campaign The goal of the How to Nourish With lesson series is to provide adults and older children with helpful information and demonstrations about selecting, preparing, cooking with, and storing vegetables. This basic knowledge may encourage families to include vegetables more often as a mainstay of family meals and snacks. Objectives: 1. Adults will explain a health benefit provided by salad greens. 2. Adults will explain how to select salad greens. 3. Adults will discuss cost- and time-effective strategies for incorporating salad greens into family meals. 4. Adults will discuss preparation and storage techniques of salad greens, including cleaning, trimming, cooking, and storing 5. Adults will make and taste food that includes salad greens. Total Time: ~1 hour Materials A large piece of paper and marker if a chalkboard/whiteboard is not available Writing utensils for participants Copies of the handout (include recipes) Variety of salad greens in a vase (optional) such as: collard greens, romaine, bok choy, red leaf, arugula, green leaf, dandelion greens, escarole, endive, and spinach (longer stemmed greens work best if you are displaying them in a vase) Head of iceberg lettuce Spinach (1 bunch) Cutting board and sharp knife Large basin of water if a sink is not available At least 1 prize for the game (ex: salad dressing container, recipe notebook, salad spinner, dried fruit, food, etc.) A timer or a stop watch Bowls and utensils for creating recipe Ingredients for salad and dressing recipes Plates, napkins, forks (enough for 1 for each participant) 1 P a g e USU Dietetics Students Meagan Latimer MS, RD; Tamara Vitale MS, RD

2 Salad spinner if available Preparation Required Review lesson plan Pre-portion out ingredients for salad recipe Make copies of handout Fill basin or sink with cool water Assemble salad green display vase This material was funded by USDA's Food Stamp Program. The Food Stamp Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, call or visit online at Uhttp:// U. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture's policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 2 P a g e

3 LESSON PLAN Introduction: Welcome and visual aid Time: 5 minutes Welcome everyone to the class and thank them for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend. Ask the class: What is the first descriptive word that comes to their mind when they think of lettuce? Their responses may include: o Green o Plain o Dull o Salad Have some of the class members share their thoughts. Summarize their comments and add that most people think of lettuce as dull, plain, or unexciting. Pull out the vase or display of various salad greens. Tell the class that here you have a very wide variety of salad greens, point out there are many different types of salad greens, not just lettuce. Tell the participants that the things they will learn in this class about salad greens and how to liven them up will help them prepare healthy, balanced meals at home and find more ways to incorporate salad greens into some of their favorite meals. Distribute the handouts and writing utensils to the participants. Encourage participants to take notes and ask questions freely. Objective 1: Adults will explain a health benefit provided by salad greens. Activity: Nutrition discussion Time: 5 minutes Ask the class: It seems that we often hear people joke about how they need to start eating more salads in order to be healthy. Why do you think salad is associated with being healthy? o Salad greens have very few calories. o Salad greens take up a lot of room in your stomach and make you feel fuller on fewer calories. o They provide vitamins such as folate. o Provides fiber that our bodies need in order to maintain a healthy digestive system. Tell the class that salad can be low in calorie depending on what you add to it. People will often add lots of dressing, which is high in fat and calories, to their salad which can make it higher in calories than a hamburger. Oil-based salad dressings, such as vinaigrettes, usually contain healthier fats than creamy salad dressings like ranch, blue cheese, or Thousand Island dressing. You can still add lots of flavor to your salad without using a lot of dressing. Explain that later on in the lesson you will discuss other foods that can be added to salads to make them taste great and still be healthy. Because many of the common salad greens do not have a strong taste, they can blend with just about any flavor and it adds a great crunch to sandwiches, burgers, and soft tacos at the same time. This is probably why lettuce is the second most popular vegetable in the United States. Objective 2: Adults will understand how to select the best salad greens. Activity: Brainstorming activity 3 P a g e

4 Time: 5 minutes Ask the class: If you were in the grocery store shopping for lettuce, what sort of things would you look for in order to pick the best head? o Lettuce heads that are compact and firm. o Avoid brown wilted leaves. o Avoid slimy leaves. o Darker colored greens and reds contain more nutrients. Pass the vase of lettuce greens around the class and let the participants examine the different types of lettuce leaves. As they are looking at the lettuce ask the class to name all the different types of salad greens they know of. Make a list on the board. Their answers may include: o Green leaf o Red leaf o Romaine o Butterhead o Iceberg o Arugula o Bok choy o Spinach Explain that some younger salad greens have a different taste than more mature salad greens. The older some of them get, the better they are cooked instead of raw (like spinach, chard, etc.). Objective 3: Adults will understand cost- and time-effective strategies for incorporating salad greens into family meals Activity: Short open discussion Time: 5 minutes Ask the class: Some of the darker or more exotic types of lettuce may cost more in a grocery store. So how can we eat a variety of salad greens while staying within a budget? o Blend darker greens that may be higher in cost with lower-priced greens. o Purchase salad greens from farmers markets when available. o Buy whole heads of lettuce instead of the pre-cut and packaged salad mixes, which can cost up to eight times more. If your priority is convenience and saving time, then purchasing packaged bags of salad may be worth the price to you. Otherwise, it is easy to clean, cut and prepare lettuce at home. Objective 4: Adults will understand preparation and storage techniques of salad greens, including cleaning, trimming, cooking, and storing. Activity: Demonstration and game Time: 25 minutes Preparation demonstration: Have work area set up with a cutting board and large basin full of cool water (if a sink is not available). Prepare to wash the lettuce. 4 P a g e

5 Ask the class: How do they wash lettuce at home? Call on one or two volunteers to describe how they usually wash their lettuce. After they give their description, explain that the best way is to cut the lettuce head in half and rinse lettuce or soak loose leaves in cold water and stir with your hand to remove dirt. Lay lettuce leaves on a paper towel and gently pat dry. Tell the class that if they want to make the drying process quicker they can invest in a salad spinner. They usually cost between $10-30, depending on the brand. These are used to dry lettuce and other vegetables quickly by spinning them dry. If class members do not know how to use a salad spinner provide the following instructions: o Separate the leaves. o Place the lettuce in the basket, rinse thoroughly, and set the basket inside the salad spinner. o Place the lid on the spinner. Then, depending on the style (usually have a pull-string or a button), press down on the button repeatedly to spin all the excess water off the lettuce. Tear lettuce into edible pieces. While doing this, explain that they can use a knife to chop lettuce if preferred, but that may make the lettuce brown quicker if it is being stored for a few days. Storage explanation: Ask the class: How many of you (by raise of hand) can never seem to use up all your lettuce before it spoils? Ask the class: Why does it usually go bad before you can use it? Answers may include: o Unsure best method of storage. o Forget to use it. The best way to store greens so that they stay fresher longer is to wrap the lettuce in slightly damp paper towels and place in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with holes for air. A clean grocery sack or a gallon sized plastic bag works well. Go on to explain that if salad greens are stored properly, they should keep for one week. Romaine lettuce can usually last for about 10 days without spoiling. So if they have trouble using all their lettuce before it spoils suggest double checking their storage method or purchase romaine lettuce instead. Using salad greens: One of the main reasons people end up throwing away spoiled salad is because they forget about it and aren t using it regularly. But didn t we say at the beginning that salad greens can go with almost anything? Ask the class: What sort of meals or foods could you add salad greens to? After they share, you may include: o Tacos/burritos o Sandwiches o Shredded lettuce on top of casseroles o Lettuce wraps with rice or meat inside o Bed of lettuce under egg salad or chicken salad Get creative and try adding greens to new things. Dressing up salad game: Of course the most common way to use salad greens is as a salad. But who wants to eat a plain lettuce salad? 5 P a g e

6 Tell the class that they are going to play a game to see who can come up with the most inventive salad add-ins. Distribute the game handout. Explain the game to the class: It is similar to the game Outburst. The goal is to come up with unique foods that could go in a salad. Each participant will have a paper that has a list of categories on it and they need to fill in a specific food that fits in that category that could go in a salad. Start a timer and give the class one minute to fill in their paper. When you stop the timer go around the room and have each person say what they put down for #1. If another participant has the same food on their paper then both players have to cross that item off their list and they do not receive a point for that one. Continue going around the room for each number. Have everyone total up their points at the end (1 point for each item they wrote down that no one else thought of). The person with the most points wins a prize. Ask the class: Were there any new ideas you heard or came up with during the game that you want to try? Have some of the class members share their ideas aloud. Objective 5: Adults will make and taste something that includes salad greens. Activity: Food demonstration Time: 10 minutes Another great way to liven up your salad is with a great dressing. Most people are familiar with the common salad dressings such as ranch, thousand island, Italian, French, or blue cheese. But today we re going to make our own. Making your own dressing is really simple and it can be a real money saver. Explain that today we are going to be making Splendid Spinach Salad with our own poppy seed dressing. While you assemble the salad, ask the class: What other things could you add to or substitute with in this recipe? Ask for a few volunteers to help mix the dressing and add it to the salad. Explain that if the entire salad is dressed before serving, a little dressing goes a long way which saves on calories and saves your dressing! Use salad hands or big forks/spoons to toss instead of tongs, which tend to create a mess. Dressing sticks best to dry greens. Conclusion: Summary and Regroup Time: 5 minutes While distributing food samples, ask the class participants if they have any questions. What did they learn today that encourages them to go home and feed salad greens to their family? What serving ideas or recipes are they planning to try? Thank them for attending. 6 P a g e

7 GREEN LEAF VARIETIES OF SALAD GREENS CURLY ENDIVE BOK CHOY -Doesn t form a head -Leaves are jointed at stem -Red and green varieties BUTTERHEAD -Somewhat bitter taste RED LEAF -Also called Chinese Cabbage DANDELION GREENS -Loose leaves -Bright green leaves -Buttery texture -Mild flavor ARUGULA -Doesn t form a head -Leaves are jointed at stem -Red and green varieties ICEBERG -Bitter flavor ROMAINE -Tender with a peppery, slightly bitter flavor -Good with fruity dressings -Crisp texture -Mild flavor -Least nutritious salad green -Key ingredient in Caesar Salads -Loaf-like shape -Darker outer leaves -Strong taste -Crisp texture 7 P a g e

8 BATIVIA ESCAROLE SPINACH -Bright green -Sweet flavor -In the Endive family -Somewhat bitter taste -Two varieties, savoy (curly leaf) and flat (smooth leaf) BELGIAN ENDIVE RADDICCHIO WATERCRESS -Grown in the dark to prevent dark leaves and bitter flavor -Red, broadleaf lettuce -Distinctive bittersweet flavor when raw -Good grilled or roasted -Small, heart-shaped leaves -Peppery flavor This material was funded by USDA's Food Stamp Program. The Food Stamp Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, call or visit online at Uhttp:// U. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture's policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 8 P a g e

9 Salad Add-in Outburst game sheet 1. A fruit? 2. A green vegetable? 3. A red, orange, or yellow vegetable? 4. A dairy product? 5. A spice? 6. A type of salad dressing? 7. Type of nut/seed? 8. A type of meat? 9. Something that you have in your cupboard? 10. Another source of protein? Topic: Things that can go in a salad Note: You cannot repeat the same answer twice!!! 9 P a g e

10 Splendid Spinach Salad 1 bunch spinach 1/4 head lettuce 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 2 cups Swiss cheese, grated 1 cup Poppy Seed dressing Tear spinach and lettuce into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Add dressing; toss well. Yield: 8 servings. Getting Creative with! Poppy seed dressing 3/4 cup wine vinegar 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds 1/2 cup oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 tsp pepper 3/4 tsp dry mustard Mix all ingredients until well-blended. Shake before using. Yield: 1 3/4 cups. Add-ins to jazz up those greens! Vegetables Fruits Cheeses Other protein options Crunch Romaine Red leaf Green leaf Spinach Spring mix Iceberg Mache Cabbage Arugula Dandelion greens Baby beet greens Mesclun Broccoli Carrots Beets Olives Corn Celery Avocado Tomatoes Cucumber Onion Sprouts Peas Bell pepper Cauliflower Radishes Pineapple Apples Pears Mangoes Strawberries Dried cranberries Oranges Grapes Raisins Mozzarella Feta Parmesan Blue Cheese Cheddar Cottage cheese Kidney beans Black beans Pinto beans Garbanzo beans Almonds Pecans Walnuts Cashews Pine nuts Chicken or turkey Beef or pork Tuna or salmon Sunflower seeds Pumpkin seeds Hard-boiled eggs Croutons Seeds Nuts Tortilla chips (crumbled) Pepperoncinis Small crackers 10 P a g e This material was funded by USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact or visit online at In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture s policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.