If you think your avocados go bad quickly, just wait until you bring home a bag a lettuce from the grocery store. After opening it, you have about 24 hours to eat all those greens. Otherwise, the next time you pull that bag out of the fridge, your once-perky greens are going to be soggy and gross. But by using this RD-approved hack, you can extend the life of your lettuce big-time.
May Zhu, MBA, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian based in Chicago, Illinois, knows the struggle of lettuce going bad too soon and shared a genius hack on how to keep lettuce fresh for longer on Instagram. Not only does her simple trick majorly cut down on food waste, as you won’t be dumping soggy greens in the garbage every few days, but it will also help save you money. You’ll be able to use your beloved greens all week long—not just for a day or two.
Here’s how to keep salad fresh: If your lettuce comes in a plastic container (think most Spring Mix varieties), you can use that container. If it comes in a bag, use any food storage container you have at home. All you need to do is put a reusable paper towel (like this zero-waste option!) on top of your lettuce, then flip it over so the paper towel is on the bottom. “Store it upside down so the water drips down,” she says. “It absorbs extra water to prevent soggy greens.”
By ridding all that extra moisture from your lettuce, it’ll stay nice and fresh—not soggy. And you can make it last even longer by checking in on the towel regularly. When it becomes damp, switch it for a dry one so it can continue to suck up all the moisture. So easy, and so effective. Here’s to seriously upping your salad game.
Put your fresh greens to good use with this vegan Caesar salad:
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