Health Benefits of Spring Mix and How to Use It

It solely takes one step into the produce aisle on the grocery retailer to notice the plethora of lettuce decisions you should have at your fingertips: spinach, arugula, romaine, kale—and additional. All of these leafy greens can really revenue your properly being in a number of strategies, nonetheless in case you’re making an attempt to toss collectively a salad with various type and nutritional vitamins, take into consideration grabbing a bag of spring mix. This versatile leafy inexperienced combine is extreme in nutritional vitamins like vitamin C, iron and vitamin A, making it deserving of a spot in your frequent grocery rotation.

While the precise greens equipped in a spring mix can differ between merchandise, in all probability essentially the most incessantly found combo is a mix of tender youngster lettuce and spinach. But it’s common to nab fully completely different varieties that embrace completely different greens like inexperienced oak leaf, arugula, endives, radicchio, chard, flat-leaf kale, romaine and additional. With so much choice in your bag of leaves, there may be additionally a diffusion of properly being benefits which you might cash in on. Here’s how, along with a number of of our favorite strategies to rearrange spring mix throughout the kitchen.

Nutrition Facts

Three ounces of spring mix (roughly 1 cup) incorporates the following:

Health Benefits

It’s Full of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are pivotal in defending your physique from oxidative stress and irritation, which reduces your hazard of sickness. And whereas spring mix seems like an unassuming veggie, it packs a fairly good punch. “Spring mix gives not solely a visually attention-grabbing addition to meals however as well as a dietary powerhouse stuffed with dietary nutritional vitamins and antioxidants,” says Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN. “Consuming spring mix is an easy, flavorful method to include essential nutritional vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium into your weight-reduction plan, promoting common properly being and well-being,” she gives. 

Can Help Reduce Heart Disease Risk

Because of their extreme antioxidant content material materials, darkish leafy greens like spring mix can notably revenue your coronary coronary heart properly being. While it’s not the perfect provide, a serving of spring mix moreover provides a number of of fiber, a nutrient that’s moreover linked to decreasing coronary coronary heart sickness hazard.

Supports Gut Health

If there’s one nutrient your digestive system likes, it’s fiber. Spring mix incorporates a particular kind of dietary fiber often called prebiotic fiber, which feeds your gut microbiota and stimulates progress of the nice micro organism in your gut. Having a healthful gut helps to reduce your hazard of sicknesses just like weight issues, type 2 diabetes and completely different metabolic issues. Dark leafy greens like spring mix moreover embrace insoluble fiber, which helps maintain your bowels healthful and your bowel habits frequent.

May Improve Eye and Brain Health

You might think about orange veggies (ahem, carrots) as being top-notch peeper protectors, nonetheless leafy greens moreover pack vision-saving nutritional vitamins. In specific, the spinach in your spring mix has a extreme amount of lutein, which is a form of plant-based carotenoid that benefits your eye and thoughts properly being. Eating meals with carotenoids could help lower the possibility of neurodegenerative issues just like Alzheimer’s sickness and Parkinson’s sickness.

Assists Digestion and Keeps You Full

We really can’t stop talking regarding the fiber in spring mix. Thanks to the filling nutrient, you’ll actually really feel comfortable after consuming a meal that comes with leafy greens. What’s additional, together with a cup–or additional–of these leafy greens is an environment friendly method in order so as to add essential amount to your meals, which is one different method to make them additional filling. And, spring mix makes a improbable base for together with completely different high-fiber meals, just like legumes and completely different greens, like peppers, cucumbers, avocado and additional.  

Tips for Enjoying Spring Mix

Along with the usual spring salad combos, there are numerous clever strategies to incorporate spring mix into your weight-reduction plan—notably in case you’re not a fan of consuming an enormous bowl of salad to start out with.

If you’re making a sandwich or wrap for lunch, together with a handful of spring mix not solely will enhance the dietary value of your meal, however as well as gives coloration and texture. (Because who doesn’t love barely further crunch?) In specific, an Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich would do correctly with some added spring mix, a straightforward tuna salad sandwich would possibly on no account do you improper, or try a Green Goddess Sandwich in case you’re contemplating of really leaning into greens. Manaker’s favorite lunch wrap accommodates grilled hen, avocado, spicy mayo and–actually–spring mix.

For way more clever strategies to utilize your spring mix, Manaker suggests tossing it into your smoothies. Yes: your smoothies! Spinach or kale is more likely to be a go-to to your inexperienced smoothies, nonetheless spring mix moreover works properly whenever you’ve received an enormous bag you will need to fritter away.

Buying and Storing

Choosing which spring mix to buy have to be comparatively straightforward. Most producers are already giving your greens a pre-wash so that you simply don’t have to stress about this step when you get residence. Many of these firms will make this recognized on the label, so when you end up procuring on your spring mix, seek for a bag that is labeled “washed” or “ready-to-eat.”

To maintain your spring mix current and crispy, it’s important to retailer it accurately. Make constructive the greens are dry and take away any wilted leaves sooner than inserting them throughout the crisper drawer. Another straightforward method to carry your bagged salad current is by inserting a paper towel throughout the bag sooner than you seal it once more up. The towel will take up the moisture from the greens and maintain them fresher for longer. This moreover works properly for clamshell containers of spring mix.

Ultimately, Manaker suggests using the spring mix inside just some days of purchase to have the benefit of these greens at their most optimum relating to style and dietary benefits.

The Bottom Line

Because of the variety of leafy greens on the market in a spring mix, this current mixture of lettuce and greens is crammed with all kinds of good-for-you antioxidants that could be part of a weight-reduction plan that helps reduce the possibility of making sicknesses just like cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, type 2 diabetes and completely different metabolic syndromes. Spring mix might be extreme in fiber, which benefits gut properly being and digestion. While spring mix can merely be used to make a vibrant salad—we’re considerably big followers of these 27 Salads So Delicious, You’ll Want to Eat Them for Dinner)—there are a number of completely different strategies it’s possible you’ll add these greens to your meals, just like in a sandwich or wrap, and even blended up in a smoothie.