Leafy Salad Vegetables in Australia (2019)

Overview of Leafy Salad Vegetables

Leafy salad vegetables is a term that is used to describe a variety of leafy vegetables that are mostly sold in loose form. Some of the most popular vegetables are rocket and baby spinach. In fact, around 17% of each of these vegetables has its root mass cut off before being sold.

Kale

Kale is a leafy salad vegetables very high in nutrients and very low in calories, making it one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Many powerful antioxidants are found in kale, including quercetin and kaempferol, which have numerous beneficial effects on health. Kale is extremely high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that has many important roles in the body. A single cup of raw kale actually contains more vitamin C than an orange.

Lettuce in Leafy Salad Vegetables

Lettuce is a leafy salad vegetable, famous for giving salads their base. There are multiple types of lettuce, and they all share the scientific name Lactuca sativa. The health benefits of lettuce come primarily from its vitamin content. Health benefits vary depending on the type of lettuce a person eats.

Watercress

Watercress is a dark, leafy green that grows in natural spring water. Historically, people have used watercress as little more than a garnish. Now, however, it is seeing a resurgence in popularity as one of the latest superfoods.

Statistics

As of June 2019:

1. 55% of Australian Households purchased leafy salad vegetables as a part of their shopping trip.
2. The wholesale value of the fresh supply was estimated at $447 million. Out of this $358 million was distributed into retail and the rest went into food service.
3. The supply per capita was estimated at 2.1 kg, based on the volume supplied.

Major Production Areas

Most of these vegetables are grown in areas that are heavily populated. Hence, they are grown all over Australia. Some of the major production areas include Gatton in Queensland and the Gippsland region in Victoria.