When you look at iceberg lettuce versus romaine, for example, romaine has about the same amount of fiber, but five times as much vitamin K and three times as much vitamin C, per USDA data. On the whole, pretty much any other green will have a greater concentration of micronutrients than iceberg.
Although iceberg lettuce has many health benefits, it is commonly known as the salad green with the least nutritional value. To make sure you're getting enough vitamins and minerals throughout the course of your week, it's best to mix in iceberg lettuce with other salad greens like spinach, kale, chard, and watercress.
But some greens aren't nutrient powerhouses. Iceberg lettuce, for example, contains folate and vitamin A, but is otherwise known for being the least nutrient-dense salad green.
Swiss chard: This lettuce has leaves that are multicolored and decorative. It contains nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, and calcium. Watercress: Watercress is very healthy. It contains 100% of the recommended daily dietary amount of vitamin K.
Spinach and lettuce are nutritionally different. spinach has twice as much potassium, protein, calcium, iron, niacin and vitamins A, C, B, C and B-12 as any other leaf vegetable. Spinach also contains more fiber and minerals including magnesium, phosphorus and potassium than any of the four lettuce types.
“With the high water content, iceberg lettuce isn't as rich in [nutrients] as other types of lettuce,” Feller explains. The sky-high levels of H20, mean there's just not as much room for other good stuff, like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, making iceberg lettuce nutrition less impressive.
Whole heads of lettuce (instead of bagged greens) may also be safer. While whole heads don't necessarily have lower bacteria levels than packaged greens, their inner leaves are less exposed to sources of contamination and are handled less than bagged greens. This reduces the opportunities for contamination.
This is a healthy habit and the side effects of lettuce are very rare. However, there is currently no scientific evidence to answer the question of whether eating a lot of lettuce is good? But similar to other herbs used daily, users can use lettuce every day but in moderation, do not overdo it.
Spinach loses 22% of lutein and 18% of beta carotene content after just eight days of cold storage whereas lettuce loses 46% of some key nutrients within seven days of cold storage. Vitamin C is an important water soluble nutrient which among other things plays a role in immune function and collagen production.
Deterioration starts as soon as crops are harvested, so homegrown and locally grown produce that gets to your table fast offer more nutrients than produce that travels over time and distance. Vitamins and antioxidants in some types of produce may be more than 100 percent higher in local crops versus imported ones.
5 foods that are mostly empty calories
Soft drinks, sports drinks, sweet tea, lemonade and energy drinks. Alcohol. Junk food and fast food. Candy, including hard candies and sweet or sour chews.
If you have plenty of fresh vegetables in the salad, then you are getting healthy, disease-fighting nutrients. Be mindful of the extra items you add to your vegetable salads, which may be high in saturated fat, sodium, or sugar. You want to include some fat in your salad.
The winner? Both are deserving of a place in your fridge's veggie crisper drawer because they both contribute to your five daily serves of veg and are versatile, low-kilojoule/calorie salad additions. However, baby spinach outperforms iceberg lettuce in terms of good-for-you micronutrients.
Myth #3 - Rabbits eat lettuce
Rabbits shouldn't eat some lettuces (such as iceberg), as they contain lactucarium, which can be harmful in large quantities. Some lettuce is 'worse' than others - light-coloured varieties are high in water and have very little nutritional value, so are not recommended.
Iceberg lettuce is a type of crisphead lettuce, and romaine lettuce is its own category. Although romaine lettuce has a slight nutritional advantage over iceberg lettuce, both are healthy vegetables. Romaine lettuce can be used in hot or cold recipes, while iceberg lettuce is best served in cold recipes only.
Green and red leaf lettuce, for example, contain nearly 15 times as much vitamin A as iceberg lettuce, 6 times the vitamin K, almost 20 times the beta-carotene and 6 times the lutein and zeaxanthin.
Spinach is linked to numerous health benefits that improve your eyesight, cancer prevention and regulate blood sugar. This is the actual reason why this leafy green is considered a superfood.