With the sunshine encouraging lighter meals, I decided to swap comforting pies for fresh summer salads. Ready-washed salad bags offer the ultimate convenience for quick meals, but they vary a lot in price, taste, and how long they stay fresh after opening.
To find the best bang for my buck, I tested salad bags from Asda, Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons. I compared their ingredients, flavour profiles, price per 100g, and how long they retained their crispness.
Florette Mixed Salad Bag – Morrisons (£1.25 for 125g, £1/100g)
A visually appealing mix of seven different leaves, including radicchio and frisée. Unfortunately, the leaves tasted bland and wilted quickly within two days. The bitterness of frisée and the red lollo rosso leaves were off-putting. It lasted just three days sealed. Rating: 2/5
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Tesco Mixed Leaf Salad Bag (£1.20 for 120g, £1/100g)
A vibrant selection of green and red frilly leaves with a mild, crisp flavour and a pleasing peppery note that wasn’t bitter. Stayed fresh for four days unopened and remained crisp even three days past the use-by date. Rating: 4.5/5
Morrisons Crisp Leaf Salad Bag (£1 for 200g, 50p/100g)
Contains multi-leaf lettuce, frisée, carrot, and both white and red cabbage. Though sweet and crunchy on paper, the high frisée content led to bitterness, and the leaves wilted quickly after opening, though the cabbage and carrot kept well. Lasted five days sealed. Rating: 3/5
Sainsbury’s Sweet Leaf Salad Bag (95p for 250g, 38p/100g)
This bag combined crunchy iceberg lettuce, thin carrot sticks, and red cabbage. The small iceberg pieces were ideal for sandwiches but less satisfying for salads. Kept fresh for four days unopened and three to four days once opened. Rating: 4/5
Lidl Mixed Leaf Salad Bag (95p for 200g, 48p/100g)
A beautiful mix of vibrant green and red leaves, mild and exceptionally crisp. Not bitter, it stayed fresh for four days after opening. This was my favorite for freshness and flavour balance. Rating: 5/5
Aldi Sweet Leaf Salad Bag (75p for 240g, 31p/100g)
Crunchy carrot strips, red cabbage, and crisp iceberg made a tasty combination, though iceberg pieces were tiny and became soggy prematurely. Great for sandwiches but must be used quickly. Lasted five days sealed. Rating: 3.5/5
M&S Rosa Verde Salad Bag (£1.60 for 80g, £2/100g)
Featuring tender butterhead and lamb’s lettuce, this salad was fresh, flavourful, and looked stunning. However, it had a very short shelf life—only one day. Perfect for special occasions rather than everyday use. Rating: 4/5
Asda Fine Cut Salad Bag (£1.11 for 230g, 47p/100g)
A crunchy, sweet mix of apollo lettuce, endives, cabbage, carrots, and red peppers. Loved the strong flavour of red cabbage and the freshness lasting beyond the best before date. One of the cheapest options with excellent taste and longevity. Rating: 5/5
Conclusion
Prices varied widely, with M&S being the priciest and smallest bag, while budget options like Aldi and Sainsbury’s offered larger quantities at lower prices. Shelf life ranged from one day for M&S to five days for Morrisons and Aldi. While M&S, Lidl, and Tesco bags looked the most appealing, the tastiest and longest-lasting choice for me was Asda’s fine cut salad bag—tasty, fresh, and affordable at just 47p per 100g. It’s my clear recommendation for daily salads without breaking the bank.