If you like free lunch and salad, look no further. Here's how to get a lifetime of unlimited greens.
The scoop
In a subreddit dedicated to frugal living, a Redditor shared a fun fact about butter lettuce: It regenerates.
"Butter lettuce replenishes itself every 1-2 weeks, so you can grow one little plant and have salad for free," the OP wrote.
For the price of one head of butter lettuce, the Redditor is regrowing butter lettuce using a planter with drainage holes and an insulated shopping bag under a grow light. The result is enough lettuce for a salad every one to two weeks. And the best part is that it's free.
In the comments, the OP shared what the butter lettuce looked like after harvesting. Using the grow light at night when the electricity is cheaper, the OP closes up the lettuce in the grocery bag during the day so the plant can rest.
"It's as fresh as it gets and you'll never need to buy bag lettuce again," the OP said.
How it's helping
It seems outrageous to continually buy something if you only have to buy it once. Gardening and growing your own food comes with an abundance of benefits that include saving money, better-tasting produce, and guaranteed quality. No need to wonder if it's covered in chemicals or grown in the right soil when you're growing it yourself.
Similarly, other yummy plants that can be grown year-round are garlic, green onion, sprouts, and rosemary. It doesn't take up a lot of room and requires little to no sunlight, which means no matter what climate you live in or how tiny your apartment is, you can maintain an endless supply of whatever plants or herbs you choose.
Knowing how to store and keep your food fresh longer helps prevent food waste, which is a bigger problem than you think. According to the USDA, food waste is estimated to be 30-40% of the food supply and is the single largest category of material found in landfills. As food decomposes, it releases toxic gases like methane, which has a much higher warming potential than carbon dioxide. Keeping food circular and out of the trash can is better and healthier for all of us.
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Not enough time ⏳ What everyone's saying
The never-ending butter lettuce tip was much appreciated and stirred up quite the conversation.
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"I love butter lettuce that's amazing to know!" one comment exclaimed.
"That's class! Thank you for the tip!" another Redditor wrote.
"Green onion ends planted regrow very easy also," another noted, to which someone replied, "Chop and freeze!"
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