The Salad Dilemma

I love salad. I find it refreshing. My favorite thing is a salad with a nice tangy dressing like a vinaigrette loaded with all sorts of exciting toppings, like pistachios for crunch, cheese for fun, sundried tomato for flavor complexity, onion, peppers, and radish for healthiness. All of that mixed in a bowl of champagne vinaigrette is a chef’s kiss.

Salads can cause trouble during a flare

But let’s be real. When your stomach is feeling off, or you are in an IBS flare, salads are not a good idea. Raw foods take more effort to digest, so adding them to your menu when you are flaring is not the best idea. Raw leafy greens fall into this category.

But how about if you are craving a salad and have your IBS mostly under control?  Is salad okay at this point?

Are salads OK when not flaring?

I say yes. If you are feeling pretty well and want a bowl of leafy greens, I don’t see why not.  But I would definitely always try to be wise with the type of greens that you go for.

Perhaps you have noticed that Romaine lettuce can cause your stomach to upset?  Romaine lettuce is a type of salad I would stay away from. Over my years of dealing with IBS, I have come to notice that this type of lettuce can be pesky to digest and cause bloating and even some abdominal pain.

What types of lettuce work best with IBS

I have found that butter lettuce is the best and easiest leafy green for me to digest.  It is quite a soft leaf which would make sense as to why it would be easier to digest compared to the hard leaf of the Romaine lettuce. Spinach is another leafy green that goes well for me and I stay away from arugula. Arugula in large quantities causes me issues.

It is important to note how you do with different types of salad greens. Just because you have a bad experience with salad doesn’t mean all of salads will cause you issues. Pay attention to the ingredients.  Try to go for a softer leaf, like butter lettuce and know that not all leafy greens are made equal. Try to stay away from a leafy green that has a very hard stem or a lot of stems.

Trying microgreens

I recently got into eating microgreens. They look like sprouts. And although they are extremely healthy and have amazing properties, I find if I have too many my stomach gets angry. I believe it is because with these sprouts there are many stems and those can be hard to digest.

Overall, make note of how you do with a variety of leafy greens.  Don’t be discouraged if you eat a salad and find that your symptoms act up. Not all leaves are made equal. It is very possible to find a salad that you can handle and enjoy.

How about you? Do you find that salads can be hard to digest? Have you ever considered a difference between leafy greens? Share below, we love to hear from you.