On Wed, 25 May 2005 15:53, Mike Weis wrote:

>Can anybody tell me if there is any good paleo reason to eat lettuce? Maybe
>I'm just still stuck in this conventional wisdom that says that salads are
>healthy, but the fact is, I would be just as happy with all the stuff that
>I'm putting IN the salad without the lettuce itself. I'm sorry to say it,
>but no lettuce I've ever had offers the same level of satisfaction as a good
>avocado, some dates, eggs, tuna and a little mayo to stir everything
>together.
> Am I missing something?
> Mike W.

Your taste buds are reacting against commercially-grown lettuce of varieties that have been bred
for long shelf life and cosmetic attractiveness, not nutritional value.  When I visit a greengrocer's
in the afternoon, the rocket (I think it's also known as arugula) and the basil that was fresh in the
morning is faded, dicoloured and limp.  The lettuces are still fresh-looking.  The rocket and the
basil are honest.

Grow your own lettuces organically using heirloom varieties and you'll never ask the question
again.  I usually have at least four different greens with my salads, sometimes up to eight counting
the herbs - a heaped tablespoonfull of fresh thyme, a cup full of chopped chives, two or three
cupfulls of chopped parsley - break out, eat Palaeo!

If you can't grow your own lettuces, then trust your taste buds and ditch it.  The salad you
describe sounds OK to me.

Keith