Do you always make a beeline for your grocer’s bagged or boxed prewashed greens?

Next time, why not go for a whole head of lettuce instead? The upsides:

• Freshness. Hate to toss a half-eaten bag of spring mix that got slimy after a few days in the fridge? Heads of lettuce are likely to stay fresh for longer because they haven’t been washed or trimmed. You get a crisp salad on standby...and less food gets wasted.
• Value. No surprise here. A small box of prewashed leaves or baby lettuce often costs more than a larger, full head of greens.
• Plastic. Trying to cut back on plastic packaging for the sake of your health and the planet’s? Many heads of lettuce come unwrapped.
• Variety. It’s not just regular romaine or ho-hum iceberg. Now you can find heads of lettuces like red leaf, green leaf, “artisan” or “petite” romaine, butter (aka Boston or Bibb), or even delicate napa cabbage. At a farmers market, look for sweet Little Gem lettuce heads.

The tradeoff: a few minutes of prep time to wash and dry your lettuce. Then cut it into wedges, and you’re ready to make The Healthy Cook’s Retro Wedge Salad.

Lettuce eat!