On Surviving Expensive Lettuces

So, recently people have been paying $7 for a head of lettuce in Auckland - and on 7 Days one of the guys said he'd actually seen them at $9 somewhere. 

And folk are outraged!

But this is merely a consequence of mother nature doing what she will - the various cyclones earlier this year meaning many of the North Island's green crops have been damaged or wiped out completely, and veges consequently hard to come by.  So while I understand the frustration about the price rise - it's not like it's anyone's fault really.  It's just life.

And I have a genius solution:

Don't eat lettuce.

I mean, truly - isn't it mostly water anyways?

Sure - it has some nutritional value.  It's high in fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Vitamin K - but so are other, hardier plants.

So, I thought I'd make a list of other salad greens that are tasty and different and easy to source that cost you pretty much nothing.

1) Dandelion Greens

Super low in cost because it's probably already growing somewhere on your section.  And if you are like me and not the best keeper of pristine lawns - all through your lawn.*  It's also even better for you nutritionally than lettuce - high in fibre, Vitamins A, C and K - but also Vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron and Potassium. 

If you find it a bit bitter forgo it as a straight salad leaf.  Just blanch it in boiling water for about 30 seconds and use it in a sandwich.  Still good!

2) Puha 

So this has four times the fibre per serve that lettuce does. Four times!  And it's also a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and folate - so eat plenty if you're trying to get knocked up.  And I can tell you from experience it's delicious and versatile.  Some people find this a little bitter - I don't.  I use it straight from the ground in a salad and it's delicious.  I also use it in soups and stews.  And like dandelions I find it growing (you guessed it) around our section.  So again - free food.  If you are worried about food identification don't be!  The leaves are quite easily identifiable combined with the flower.  Go for the green, smaller leaves (especially for salad)

3) Nasturtiums

I feel very lucky to have grown up with parents who taught me how to eat this stuff.  While we didn't eat many dandelion leaves or puha as kids, we definitely ate these - which grew in abundance around many of the houses I lived in.  Nasturtium is definitely not for everyone - the leaves are a little peppery - but that's probably why I love them so much!  

Think of it as a substitution for rocket and you'll be able to use it how it's best suited.  I use it in a green salad alongside things like cucumber, spinach and mint (to balance the pepper).

Nasturtium flowers are also edible (and less peppery) and contain 10 x the Vitamin C of lettuce! 

4) Watercress

You will most likely have seen this growing rampant in many a roadside drain - especially in rural New Zealand.  While you do need to be wary of the water quality of those drains in terms of eating from them - most are quite safe.  And healthy watercress will grow well in clean, running water so usually the cress is a sign of good things.  One cup of watercress will give you your RDI in Vitamin K (among other vitamins and minerals) which helps with bone and heart health and is 5 times the amount you will get from eating (you guessed it) lettuce.  Like nasturtiums, watercress is slightly peppery in taste, so best in small quantities in salads or sandwiches.  If you have a heap it's also delicious in soups and stews.  And, unlike the plants mentioned above, it can be procured from (some) vegetable stores (if you must).

5) Silverbeet (or swiss chard)

I think of this as 'poor mans spinach'.  Almost as tasty, a little woodier, but easy to source and still pretty good!  I don't know what it is about this stuff but it seems to be the cockroach of plants in NZ - it survives anything!  Unlike everything mentioned above, this doesn't usually grow 'wild' as such, but is very easily cultivated, and happy growing in gardens of average soil quality - or even in a pot on the deck.  Like watercress, it is high in Vitamin K as well as Vitamin A, Vitamin C and other stuff.

What I love about silverbeet is that if you're not growing it yourself, you will probably know someone who is.  And as it is a low maintenance, generally happy wee plant - they will have it in abundance and be happy to share.  I often end up with a couple of bags full from my wonderful Grandma who has too much to know what to do with.

But I know what to do with it.  Once it's all well washed (earwigs and slugs removed) I separate the biggest part of the stalk (cos woody) from the leaves and put a small amount of water into a large pot.  I then steam the leaves, drain most (not all) of the water and blitz it with my hand held destructo stick thing (slender blender).  In this format it is perfect for lasagnes, pies, pasta sauces or (my favorite) saag (spinach based curries).  If I don't need to use it immediately, I then date and freeze it for future use.

6) Add Herbs

My simple solution to good salads is my kitchen shelf.  On this I grow some tasty additions to any salad which I can keep year round.  Basil** is my most favorite herb (in terms of flavour) on this earth.  I love to chuck it in a hearty salad alongside feta, nuts and roast vegetables.  A real flavour boost.  My other favorite is thyme - which gives a slightly citrus zestiness to a salad.  Both live in my kitchen, so it's not hard to add.

Out in the garden I also have chives, fennel, mint and oregano - just to name a few things.  All wonderful additions to any salad.

My beloved herb shelf - now has sage, basil, rocket, coriander, spinach (and dried bay leaves)

So basically, fuck $7 lettuce.  Live a little!  Better eating everyone x

* And if you live in an apartment just check out your local park - you'll probably find some there.  As with all things you find in the park - make sure you wash it before you eat it.

** Pro tip to keeping supermarket basil alive forever: re-pot it into 3 - 4 pots (they bulk plant it to make it look bushy/full).  This way the plants won't become root-bound and have some room to live.  My basil (pictured above) was bought four months ago.  Also, put it somewhere sunny - like, say, a windowsill.

After week 2 and some on healthy eating thing

I am being much better with my eating - but am definitely far from perfect*.

And the weight is moving - slowly.  But slow as it is, it's still movement in a downward trajectory.  If I maintain my current momentum, I will reach my goal weight in about three months.  And considering I haven't been that weight in almost 3 years, that time frame is totally fine with me.

I lost two butters now.  Yay!            

And there are a lot of things to like about this healthy eating thing.

Because I'm changing my habits, I'm finding the time to do things I previously thought I was too time-poor to do.  Like, eat a proper breakfast (not just toast).  And more whole, unprocessed foods.  And actually, truly, properly eating my 5+ a day (as opposed to pretending I have by saying hot chips, salsa or tomato sauce count as a serving).  And they're not just healthy changes - but delicious ones - which makes it feel a little less like being on a 'diet'.

And because I'm eating more healthy, energy full foods I am finding it a little easier not to eat some of those bad things that had made it into my regular diet.  Once a week as a work lunch treat I'd have the $5 meal deal from Burger King (because cheap, easy access and filling) which consisted of a burger, chips, a fizzy drink and a sundae.  I've since substituted this for a quick walk across the road (exercise) to get the sushi-of-the-day for $5.70.  Not a perfect meal - but definitely much healthier.

And I thought I'd miss that whole chips and icecream sundae thing.  But I really don't.  Because I love sushi and it's really filling, so I'm finding myself craving less high carb/high sugar foods purely because my dietary needs are actually being more fully met.

And I'm not depriving myself.  I am just trying to eat better.  I have restricted certain types of foods purely because it was well past time.  For some reason, whilst I was pregnant and when the babes were small those baby hormones gave me some sort of buffer which meant foods I previously couldn't eat without suffering for it didn't really affect me.  I don't know why - but I know other women who've had similar things happen, so it must be some kind of a 'thing'.  But that buffer wore off some time ago and I've kinda been ignoring it...

My body just doesn't cope well with trying to process most red meats (something to do with the fats) or large amounts of gluten or lactose.  Me eating these things results in bloating, gas, water retention and feeling a bit lethargic and generally icky.  And I've been choosing to feel this way because of laziness in food prep because of exhaustion from parenting.  Because these kinds of foods seem more easily accessible, tasty and filling than others.  And they are, but it's a cyclical issue because I'm eating food I know makes me feel bad because I'm too tired to prepare foods that actually help me feel better.  Weird, cyclical (but totally understandable) thing.

And, surprisingly, I've actually had very few issues with making this change.  I was only eating red meat in pie and burger form - you know - easy to put in your face forms, and have instituted some easy substitutions for the high gluten products I was eating (ie: bread).  Because before I had kids this was my actual diet.  And I didn't find it that hard to maintain.  This time around all I've had to do is find ways of managing my time, and the types of foods I eat, to fit in with my current lifestyle.  This will take some practice, but it should only get easier.

The biggest thing this health kick has kick-started is my realisation that I use food and drink as a coping mechanism for being a parent.  Exhausted?  Have a coffee.  Achieved something?  Reward with chocolate.  Frazzled after a long day? Wine o'clock right here.  I think it's because it's not easy to apply the kinds of self care I used to use to remedy these issues - like sleeping, reading or just generally having time to myself. 

So I'm having to rethink how and when I apply these sorts of band-aids and whether they're actually helping or hindering my wellness.  Dropping coffee has been easy**.  I was also regularly (shamed expression) drinking energy drinks (which I've never really done before I had kids) at work to cope with just, well, working.  While I haven't managed to cut this out (yet) I have switched to sugar free and have halved my weekly consumption...  I am still working on treats and booze BUT have ensured I never have more than one glass of wine by making myself have two cups of green tea a night.  Because of my early bedtime (because of broken sleep) I don't have time for more than one small*** wine before I have to skull the tea.

Last time I promised a recipe.  This isn't really a recipe.  It's just a list of the things I put in my favourite salad.

So my favorite salad is not pictured below - this one is ok, but not quite my favorite - but I don't have a photo of it sorry, so this will just have to do.  It has some of the same ingredients, but no spinach and some other stuff.

Hannah's Favorite Salad Of All Time

Some baby spinach leaves
Some fresh basil leaves
Some toasted walnut halves (doesn't matter what size as long as similar for even toasting)
Roasted beetroot cut into smallish chunks
Some feta cheese cut into smallish chunks
Avocado cut into smallish chunks

I dress this very simply in some olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar with a little salt and pepper to taste.  Seriously YUM!

It's definitely not the lowest fat salad (hello feta and avocado), or the simplest to make (toasting nuts and roasting beetroot - not hard, but extra work) but it is delicious and filling - and those are also some very important factors in whether a salad gets eaten or not.

So I'm getting there... slowly.  Tune in in the next week or so for another exciting episode of my weight loss journey.  Next weeks spotlight is on exercise (and how I avoid it).


* Like the other night when I binged on potato chips after dinner (75% less fat potato chips means it's ok to eat a whole bag, right?) and then tried to 'rescue' the night by having less wine than I'd planned and drinking more green tea...

** I don't think coffee is evil.  My coffee habit is not even that bad (one in the morning and sometimes a second on a very bad day).  But I didn't drink it apart from on the weekends before I had kids.  So I know I don't really need it. 

*** Never every night.  Too conscious of how unhealthy that is (in terms of addiction) although I'd actually LOVE to have a wine at the end of every day.