Hello friends of the farm in this opportunity I am going to talk about the lettuce that is one of those vegetables that would have to eat almost daily: it provides abundant vitamins and small doses of minerals that enrich the diet without contributing only calories. In salads is the queen and combines almost everything. She is the protagonist of the lightest and simplest recipe dish: the salad. So much so that when we refer to a salad, actually a mixture of vegetables, the only ingredient that is usually given as safe is this.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) belongs to the family of asteraceae and has been cultivated for more than two thousand years. Apparently the Romans and even the Greeks already appreciated their virtues and their taste.
The Arabs in the eleventh century had treaties explaining how to plant lettuce, and Isabel de Farnesio, married to Felipe V, used stuffed as a garrison at their banquets.
It seems that it was cultivated for the first time in India, but this is a controversial subject. In any case, today it is cultivated in most countries with a temperate climate, because it is better at resisting high temperatures than at low temperatures.
It is possible that lettuce is one of the foods that almost never lacks in food. Any food that is made in a restaurant has a good starter salad whose main ingredient is lettuce. However, there are countless types of lettuce that we can use and each one varies not only in taste, texture and appearance, but also in the nutrients it provides and the benefits it has.
PROPERTIES OF LETTUCE
Lettuce has a lot of health benefits, among which we find the delay in the aging of the skin and the organism. Lettuce has large amounts of antioxidants that help the body stay young for longer.
This food can provide some improved aspects in your day to day. For example, it is ideal for those people who are nervous in themselves since it has some sedative principles that help calm the nerves.
It provides just 18 calories per 100 g of edible part and contains: water (94%), cellulose (0.6%), carbohydrates (3%), lipids (0.2%) and protids (1%).
It is well stocked with minerals, especially potassium (264 mg / 100 g), calcium (35 mg), phosphorus (26 mg) and magnesium (16 mg), as well as trace elements (copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, etc.).
It is also rich in vitamins: A (970 mcg, in the form of carotenoids), B group (its content in folic acid is 21 mg), C (8 mg) and E (0.06 mg).
BENEFITS FOR LETTUCE HEALTH
Of the lettuce it has been said that it calms down, that it goes well for the sight, the insomnia and the retention of liquids, and even that it influences the libido.
An infusion of 100 grams of lettuce leaves is perfect for menstrual pains.
Another substance of interest is the lactucarium, a substance that acts as a soothing on the nervous system, which gives the lettuce relaxing and sleep-promoting properties. It has hypnotic qualities, which help to sleep, and also analgesic against pain. It has soothing properties on nervous excitement. In addition, it has satiating power.
Lettuce is an alkalizing, refreshing, remineralizing food.
It has an aperitive action, stimulating the digestive glands, as well as a mild laxative activity due to its fiber content. Because it drains the liver, it exerts a general depurative action of the organism.
It also has hypoglycaemic properties (reduces blood sugar), which makes it advisable to consume it by diabetics.
As it is rich in beta-carotene, it contributes to the prevention of cancer, especially of the colon and lung.
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
Mainly we found the lettuce more in the summer time to be refreshing in a delicious salad well dressed. Lettuce does not only serve in salads, we can find it as an accompaniment in sandwiches, vegetables, in various dishes, etc. In all these cases, the lettuce serves as a component that helps to change the flavor so as not to make the food repetitive and brings a freshness and flavor worthy of introducing to the palate.
TYPES OF LETTUCE
The most important types of lettuce you should introduce in your diet given its properties and taste.
ROCULA
This type of lettuce has its origin in the Mediterranean. The most abundant time of this lettuce is summer. Its refreshing and bitter taste makes it perfect for use in different types of salad and pesto.
ROMAINE LETTUCE
This is the best known for being the one used in most salads. Its stem is quite vigorous and has a long head. It differs easily from other species since the leaves are long and crispy. The intense green color serves to promote advertisements, implying that it is very healthy what we are eating. A whiter lettuce does not provide the same marketing as a green lettuce. Being the most used and sold is the cheapest that we can find in the market. It contains large amounts of vitamins and minerals and is perfect for all types of salads. There is a variety of romaine lettuce of a smaller size for those people who do not eat it very often. In this way they prevent it from deteriorating with the passage of time.
RADICCHIO
This variety is not well known by this name. In Spain we call it chicory and it has a high value in antioxidants. This has made it a good option for a healthy diet rich in nutrients. Its shape helps you to be versatile in the kitchen. It can be prepared both cooked and stewed. The taste is somewhat bitter and its season goes from the months of January to April.
TROCADERO
This French lettuce if it is more known and has more presence in places of purchase of vegetables. The leaves are smoother than in other lettuces but the flavor is more buttery. The texture is quite adaptable to all types of food, so it is a good option to combine almost anything.
ICEBERG
Surely this lettuce does not go unnoticed. It is another of the best known to be the cheapest. Both in supermarkets and hotels is the most sold and served as its price is reduced. This is because it is the lettuce with less nutritional value to our body.
ENDIVE
This is another type of lettuce that you probably know from having seen it in many dishes. And it is a lettuce widely used in all winter salads. Its blade is of the jagged type and the taste is more bitter. Everyone who has tried escarole knows that it can be combined with many seasonal foods. The heart of this variety is usually pale yellow or white. The leaves are quite crispy. It is common to see it introduced in many low-calorie diets and it is a good option to eliminate this excess fluid retention we have. The bitter taste does not please as many people as one might expect from its appearance, but there are those who love it.
LETTUCE IN THE KITCHEN
We currently find lettuce all year round, but its optimal moment begins in spring and in some varieties it lasts all summer.
Although in our country we take it basically raw, it can also be used to make creams and soups. Even sautéed or boiled is tasty. The advantage of eating it raw is that without cooking it preserves its nutritional properties better.
The lettuce displays its virtues in a thousand and one salads. It can also be used as an ingredient in sandwiches, pitas, crêpes or burritos.
It also gives a lot of play to make vegetable creams, tortillas, sautéed, sautéed and some varieties, like small and cozy, can be cooked whole grilled, steamed or braised.
Its leaves can be filled with rice, meat or fish, simply by scaling or frying the whole leaves.
HOW TO USE WELL YOUR NUTRIENTS
Although the nutritional contribution of the lettuce is considerable, it does not always arrive intact at the table. Take into account the following points is essential if you want to make the most of it:
Buy lettuces in good condition. Lettuce with spots, with leaves broken or that are in boxes too full, may not have the proper quality.
Choose them in season. There are lettuces all year round, but their season starts in the spring. Prepared salad sachets are a good choice, although they do not have the same value as fresh lettuce.
Keep it well. Lettuce should be stored in a cool, moist place, protected from light and air. In the fridge it is advisable to leave it in the vegetable drawer. It is not necessary to join it with apples or pears, because it is altered before. Nor should it freeze.
Avoid prolonged soaking, as much of its minerals and vitamins are lost in water.
Take advantage of the greenest leaves.
Do not cut it too much.
Prepare it shortly before eating.
Season with lemon juice or vinegar. Citric acid and acetic acid have a preservative power that preserves vitamins.
When the fresh lettuce is consumed it is necessary to use light dressings for the varieties of tender leaves, like the French one, very soft; iceberg, very refreshing and crunchy and more consistent dressings for lettuces with more fleshy and curly leaves, such as Tudela buds, lollo rosso or oak leaf, romaine, marigold or batavia, and seasoning just before Serve them on the table so they do not lose their freshness.
CONCLUSION
Although it seems a topic the person who is going to go on a diet and wants to lose weight eating salads of lettuce, this food has some great and important properties. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce them into our diet to make the most of these benefits. Not only does it have food properties, but it is also used for medicine and cosmetics.
SOURCE:
https://www.jardineriaon.com/tipos-de-lechuga.html
https://www.cuerpomente.com/guia-alimentos/lechuga
I hope that with this information I enjoyed it knowing the properties and types of lettuces.