For more than 20 years, whenever nutrition conversations get complicated, I always come back to one simple piece of advice: eat your greens. Whether someone is trying to lose weight, improve their gut health, have more energy, or support their immune system, this has been one of those nutrition recommendations that has stood the test of time. And that is exactly why I love it. When the nutrition world gets noisy with endless opinions about what we should eat, avoid, or the latest super food, I find myself coming back to the basics. Eat more plants. Eat more fiber. Eat more variety. Eat more greens!
For most people, the simplest and most practical way to start doing that has always been the salad. Yes, the humble salad.
For someone who loves to cook, a salad can become an incredible, creative meal filled with vegetables, herbs, beans, nuts, seeds, grains, and protein.
For someone who is newer to cooking or wants healthy eating to feel easier, a salad can be as simple as grabbing some bagged lettuce, adding a protein, tossing in a few vegetables, and choosing a healthy dressing.
The salad is practical, flexible, and sustainable.
Personally, I have always been a salad person. I often quote Elaine from Seinfeld as I roam around Pittsburgh in search of a perfect “big salad.” I go through an impressive amount of lettuce and greens. A “big salad” has been my reliable lunch, my “I don’t feel like cooking” meal, and one of the easiest ways I know to get a variety of plants throughout the week.
So, imagine my reaction when the recent Cyclospora outbreak entered the conversation. After decades of confidently telling people to eat their greens, I felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under me. Almost as if Cyclospora was saying “Oh really? Your answer to everything is greens? Let’s see how you handle this!”
Well, I appreciate a challenge. No one makes a fool out of my greens advice that easily.
Of course, in all seriousness, food safety matters. Like many of you, I’ve been following the updates, checking CDC guidance, paying attention to investigations into possible sources, and watching for information about specific products, brands, or types of produce that may be impacted. The goal is not to panic or abandon healthy foods. The goal is to be informed and thoughtful.
What I actually found most interesting about this situation is that it inspired me to think more broadly about what “eat your greens” really means.
The truth is, the goal was never to eat bags of lettuce. The goal was always to have more plants, fiber, and variety. Instead of seeing this as a reason to step away from greens, I decided to use it as an opportunity to expand the way I think about them. Here are a few ideas I have been exploring.
1. Revisit Food Safety Basics When Selecting and Preparing Produce
This situation is a good reminder of habits that should always be part of our routine. During an outbreak, staying informed through trusted sources like the CDC and paying attention to specific recommendations is important. Beyond that, there are simple practices that can help us be more thoughtful consumers:
- Wash fresh produce thoroughly before preparing or eating.
- Remove outer leaves from whole heads of lettuce, cabbage, and similar vegetables.
- Keep produce preparation areas and knives clean.
- Consider choosing more whole, less processed produce when possible.
2. Explore Greens That Are Meant to Be Cooked
One of the biggest things this experience has reminded me is that greens do not have to mean lettuce. There is an entire world of vegetables that are delicious when cooked and often do not get the attention they deserve. Try kale, Swiss chard, escarole, collard greens, mustard greens, and bok choy. These vegetables can be a side dish or become the foundation of soups and stir-fries.
3. Build Meals Around Other Plants
This has been the fun part of the challenge. I’ve tried thinking about different ways to build meals where vegetables, other than lettuce, are still the star. A few ideas:
- Roasted vegetable bowls: Start with roasted vegetables, add a protein, include beans and finish with a flavorful sauce or dressing.
- Beans and greens: Sauté escarole or other greens with garlic, onions, olive oil, and beans for a simple meal packed with fiber.
- Cooked salads: Try lightly boiled shaved brussels sprouts or kale as your salad base, and add your favorite protein like tuna, chicken, salmon, tofu, or edamame.
- Soups: Add greens into lentil soup, chili, vegetable stews
The bigger lesson I’m reminded of is that healthy food requires a healthy food system. With that in mind, this conversation should be about more than salads. It should be about our food system. Healthy eating depends on healthy soil, responsible farming practices, clean water, thoughtful agriculture, and continued innovation in food safety. We spend so much time debating the latest supplement, reading claims on the labels of processed foods, and taking medications. But one of the most important investments we can make is ensuring that healthy, minimally processed foods are safe, accessible, and available for everyone. The answer to better health has never been more processing. It has always been more real food and healthy environments.
Cyclospora temporarily sent me into a doomscroll and disrupted my salad routine. But it also inspired me to branch out and embrace my “eat your greens” philosophy with renewed vigor. I have a few more options in the rotation, and I would love to hear about your favorite ways to eat greens. Share your ideas, and reach out if you’re looking to add more plants, fiber, and “greens” to your diet.
Carolyn Kontos, MS, ACC, Leadership and Wellness Coach, offers Wellness & Nutrition Coaching at the JCC through her Eat Well Programs. For more information, contact Carolyn at [email protected]