The Bagged Convenience You Should Think Twice About Buying At The Grocery Store

Ready-to-eat meals are a lifesaver when you're short on time or can't be bothered to chop, mix, and cook. Items like pre-made sandwiches and frozen entreés are okay once in a while, but there's one prepared product that you should avoid tossing in your cart. Bagged salad kits are a convenient and tasty way to get your greens, but these refrigerated products have more downsides than upsides when you really think about it.

One of the biggest reasons to steer clear of bagged salad kits is the increased risk of getting sick from contamination. Salad kits are a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. Despite claims of being triple-washed, these bagged kits can be contaminated throughout the processing phase. The moist environment that develops inside isn't helping. The higher-than-average rate of recalls for these salads should be enough to scare you straight.

On top of that, the quality of these prepared meals is subpar compared to the same salad made with fresh ingredients. The moment the leafy greens are washed and chopped, they start to spoil. Whether it's due to temperature fluctuations or moisture trapped in the packaging, the greens lose their crispness and color fast. It's a race against the clock to eat them before they turn slimy and unappetizing.

If contamination and quality concerns aren't enough to keep you away from this bagged convenience, the amount you overspend on them should make you think twice. The $3 to $4 price tag for these kits can seem cheap enough for a single meal, but the convenience markup is crazy high compared to buying the individual ingredients and preparing them yourself. It makes more sense to make your own salads if you're prepping meals for the whole week or feeding a lot of people.

Aside from the impact on your wallet, there's also an environmental cost to consider. These kits include multiple ingredients, which come packaged in separate plastic bags, adding to the overall waste. To make matters worse, the amount of water used to wash the greens is excessive and can wreak even more havoc in drought-stricken areas. And the cost of processing, such as electricity use, transportation, and refrigeration, can make the entire process not worth the effort.

For the best salad experience, we recommend making your own at home. Investing in a salad spinner makes it easy to wash and dry your greens thoroughly, so they stay fresh and crisp instead of turning brown and soggy. Recipes like this two-ingredient creamy dressing make it even easier to prepare a quick lunch without sacrificing flavor. So, the next time you walk past the salad kit section, we suggest you make a beeline for the fresh produce and build your own.