FIVE WAYS WITH... LETTUCE

how to get the most nutrients out of food. This week: Lettuce

1 Choose darker leaves (romaine over iceberg). Green leaves contain up to 50 times more vitamin A (for a healthy immune system) than white ones.

2 Add an oil dressing. Lettuce contains antioxidants such as lutein and quercetin that help protect cells from damage. They are fat soluble and so are only absorbed if eaten with a source of fat.

3 Use lettuce leaves as wraps. Especially good with Asian fillings such as duck and hoisin, they are perfect for low-carb diets and can save up to 80 calories compared to a mini tortilla wrap.

4 Add extras. A bowl of leaves isn’t enough to count as a veg portion — add a handful of chopped cucumber or tomato and it will.

5 Try lettuce soup. For four servings, use two heads of butterhead lettuce, stock, shallots and a potato. Because the leaves cook down, you use more of them, thereby getting more potassium, folic acid and antioxidants than you would from a serving of raw salad.