Romaine Lettuce: One of the most popular lettuces in the country, romaine lettuce, is crispy and fresh and perfectly mild-mannered. You can buy romaine hearts, which are the tighter-curled and crunchier inner leaves of a head of romaine, or you can buy a whole head of romaine, which includes the larger, fluffier outer leaves. Hearts stay fresh longer in the fridge, and each leaf has a nice boat shape that makes it fun to dip in hummus or ranch dressing or load up with taco filling. Romaine is the go-to for Ceasar salad. When sliced in wedges, it can be served as a take on a classic wedge salad. Halved, you can quickly char romaine hearts on the grill and then drizzle with dressing. Thinly sliced, it’s a great plant-based taco or burrito bowl topping.

Cos lettuce: Cos lettuce has an oblong shape with thick leaves and a firm central rib. Its outer leaves are usually slightly bitter and deep green, but the centre is sweet, delicate and paler. The coarse leaves are crunchy and have a sharp flavour that is slightly peppery, making them different from milder lettuce varieties. The crispiness of Cos makes it ideal for Caesar salads. You can also use it for dipping or loading it with veggie salads. With its crunch and delicate flavour, it can be added to sandwiches and wraps.

Butter Lettuce:The two most commonly sold varieties of butterhead lettuce, characterised by its soft leaves and loosely formed heads, are Boston lettuce and Bibb lettuce. Both are tender with a sweet and, yes, almost buttery, fresh flavour. Boston lettuce is usually larger than Bibb and a little sweeter and milder. But they can be used interchangeably in most recipes. The cuplike shape of butterhead lettuce makes it ideal for lettuce cups or lettuce wraps: Fill each leaf with larb, egg salad, chopped tomatoes and avocado, you name it. When you want something easy to bite through, the tenderness of butterhead lettuce leaves makes them great in sandwiches, too.

Iceberg Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is the most common crisphead lettuce variety. Look quickly, and you might mistake it for green cabbage, but it’s worlds away in texture and flavour. It’s mild and refreshing, like biting into crunchy water. Cut into wedges; this is your traditional wedge salad star, and the tightly coiled leaves hold a blue cheese dressing perfectly. Thinly sliced, it’s a timeless burger topping. Keep the leaves whole, and you can use them in place of a bun around a burger.

Green and Red Leaf Lettuce: Leaf lettuce grows with leaves that branch from a single stalk loosely rather than forming a tight head. It’s got thinner and more tender leaves that ruffle and frill in gorgeous ways. The taste of green and red leaf lettuce is quite similar: a little bit pleasantly earthy and totally refreshing. And no, it’s not actually red, just sort of reddish-brown. It plays well in any green salad, and the frilly edges of green leaf lettuce are what you’ll most often see peeking out of a burger or sandwich.

Oak Leaf Lettuce: Oak leaf lettuce is another common variety of leaf lettuce, with leaves shaped like oak leaves. It can be either green or red and is even more delicate and tender than green or red leaf lettuce. Gently tear the leaves up into any salad—just be careful not to squeeze or overwork them since they can bruise easily.

Mesclun (Spring Mix): “Mesclun” is not a variety of lettuce, though you may see boxes of baby lettuce leaves labelled as such. The word is actually French for “mix” and is sometimes labelled “spring mix” as well. This is an assortment of different types of lettuce leaves, picked while still young and small (as they would appear in your garden in the spring). Mesclun makes for an easy way to assemble a salad with a variety of colours and textures. Just be careful when buying greens in a box; check to make sure there aren’t any wilting leaves because once one leaf spoils, the whole box quickly follows suit.

Arugula: Arugula is not technically a lettuce, either. But baby arugula is always sold right next to that spring mix, and it makes great salads, so we’re including it on our list. Arugula is peppery and bright and can add a great contrast to other buttery greens in a salad bowl. It also holds its own against a garlicky salad dressing. It works tucked into sandwiches, lending a stronger flavour punch than your standard green lettuce.

Radicchio: Again, radicchio is not a lettuce but a member of the chicory family. It’s bitter and crunchy and vibrantly dark purple with veins of white. Add it to any green salad for contrast and texture. Wilt it into pasta or roasted vegetables. If serving it alone, pair it with a sweeter dressing to balance the bitterness.

Escarole: Another bitter member of the chicory family, frilly-leafed escarole, makes excellent salads. It keeps fresh longer in the fridge than lettuce, so it’s a good one to have on hand. Use it as you would radicchio or stir it into a pot of Italian bean soup.

Whether your child is a fussy eater or turns their nose up when a piece of lettuce lands on their plate, you need creative ways to get them to eat lettuce. The trick is to transform the experience of eating lettuce into a fun activity. Here are a few ideas to get your kids excited about lettuce.

Involve them in making lettuce recipes: Your children are likely to eat anything you prepare, so involve them in the process of making lettuce recipes. Let them build their salad or even make the salad for the whole family using lettuce. Set up the kitchen for kids with safe knives and kids' aprons, and let them build their salads. Aside from salads, they can also make lettuce wraps with their favourite fillings.

Incorporate lettuce into their favourite dishes: If your kids love smoothies, add a nutritious boost by blending a handful of lettuce into your fruit smoothies. You can also use lettuce in sandwiches, burgers or wraps for your kids to enjoy. Combining lettuce with familiar and liked flavours or dishes like tacos and quesadillas helps them get used to the taste and texture.

Keep your lettuce salads simple and flavourful: When introducing lettuce salads, ensure your kids like the ingredients added. Start simple with two or three ingredients like Romaine lettuce, cheese and their favourite dressing. You also want your kids to enjoy the salad, so add crunchy toppings like seeds and nuts.