Arugula is a peppery leafy green from the mustard family, grown as a cool-season salad crop and sold in bunches or bagged mixes for salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. It provides water, fiber, and some vitamins but offers limited nutrition for pets, and the bitter leaves may cause mild digestive upset. Offer only small amounts of plain leaves and avoid dressed salad mixes or seasoned greens.
Arugula leaves are soft and lobed with a slightly fuzzy surface and a peppery bite like mustard or radish. It is a cool-season crop grown in early spring or fall and tends to bolt and turn more bitter in summer heat. Baby arugula is tender and mild, while mature leaves are thicker and more pungent.
Arugula is sold in bunches or bagged spring-mix blends. It is used in salads, on pizza, or as a garnish. The stems are thin and can get stringy if overgrown. Because it is usually eaten raw, any dressing or oil clinging to the leaves adds extra fat and salt.
