A Word About Lettuce

Should You Be Worried About Your Product

A Note From Our Nutritionist: If you've seen the recent headlines about the Cyclospora outbreak and felt a little uneasy about your next trip to the produce aisle, you're not alone. Our nutrition collaborator, Stephanie Tarbell wanted to share some grounded, practical guidance for our community.

Her first message: please don't panic, and please don't stop eating fruits and vegetables. Produce still belongs in your diet. The goal right now isn't to eliminate risk entirely — it's to be thoughtful rather than fearful.

A few simple habits go a long way:

- Wash your hands before prepping any produce

- Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water

- Scrub firm produce (think: cucumbers, squash, root vegetables)

- Remove any damaged or bruised areas

- Keep produce separate from raw meat and seafood

- Refrigerate cut produce within 2 hours

One important note: skip the soap, bleach, or commercial cleaning products on your food. These aren't necessary and aren't recommended for produce safety.

Feeling Extra Cautious? Lean Into These Options

- Cooked vegetables, roasted or sautéed

- Frozen produce

- Canned options

- Soups

- Smoothies made with frozen fruit

For those who still want fresh salads and greens, Stephanie points to one meaningful distinction: growing environment matters. Greens grown in controlled-environment greenhouses — rather than open fields — carry a different risk profile than field-grown produce during an outbreak like this one.

No food is ever zero-risk, but understanding how and where your produce is grown can inform smarter choices, especially for anyone feeling cautious right now.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, reach out to your healthcare provider:

- Watery diarrhea - Cramping or bloating - Nausea or loss of appetite - Fatigue

- Unexplained weight loss - Symptoms that improve, then return

Ashley Curl, NP Men's Health Elizabeth Speed, OB-GYN Women's Health

Teamwork Makes the

Dreamwork

Stephanie Tarbell, RN Nutritionist Laura Zanfes, NP Pyschiatric NP