What is the Nutritional Value of Iceberg and Romaine Lettuce?

Question: What is the Nutritional Value of Iceberg and Romaine Lettuce?

Answer: Iceberg and romaine lettuce are great salad choices when it comes to calories - both have less than 10 calories per cup of fresh leaves. However, romaine lettuce is probably the better choice when it comes down to all the other nutrients.

Romaine lettuces has darker green leaves, and generally, the deeper the color, the better the nutrition. Romaine lettuce has more of a B vitamin called folate, more vitamin K, and more lutein (an antioxidant related to vitamin A).

Whenever you make a salad, choose the greens with the darkest coloring. Kale or spinach are even better than romaine or or iceberg lettuce, because the have even better nutritional value.

Nutritional Values for Iceberg and Romaine Lettuce

One cup of iceberg lettuce:

• 8.0 calories
• 0.5 gram protein
• 0.7 gram fiber
• 10 milligrams calcium
• 78 milligrams potassium
• 1.5 millgrams vitamin C
• 16 micrograms folate
• 13.3 micrograms of vitamin K
• 164 micrograms beta carotene
• 152 micrograms of lutein + zeaxanthin

One cup of romaine lettuce has:

• 8.0 calories
• 0.58 gram protein
• 1.0 gram fiber
• 16 milligrams calcium
• 116 milligrams potassium
• 11.3 milligrams vitamin C
• 64 micrograms folate
• 48.2 micrograms vitamin K
• 1637 micrograms beta carotene
• 1,087 micrograms of lutein + zeaxanthin.

Greens are just one part of a healthy salad. Top your salad greens with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and low-fat protein sources like lean chicken or tofu.

_{Source: United States Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database}