subject: Lettuce Nutrition [print this page] Lettuce Nutrition Lettuce Nutrition
Lettuce nutrition.. Grown as a leaf vegatable and a member of the daisy family, lettuce is mostly served cold and raw in salads or sandwiches as a cooling counterbalance to other ingredients due to its mild flavour.
Lettuce has been cultivated for more than 2,500 years. It is a native to Europe and Asia but is grown throughout the world today.
The name comes from 'milk' in latin as the plant has a milky juice: milk is lac in Latin, leche in Spanish, lait in French.
The Yazidis that live in Northern Iraq consider eating lettuce a taboo, as they believe evil is found in it.
Lettuce was considered an aphrodisiac food in Ancient Egypt.
In China, lettuce is usually eaten cooked and the use of the stem is as important as the use of the leaf.
Types of Lettuce:
Romaine: Large, crisp leaves and a slightly sharp flavor.
Loose leaf: Mildly and delicately flavored leaves.
Chinese lettuce: Bitter taste on long and sword-shaped leaves.
Iceberg: Mild taste on crunchy leaves.
Butterhead lettuce: Softest leaves with a loose head and buttery taste.
Batavian lettuce: Non-hearty with frilly and crunchy - nutty flavoured leaves.
Lettuce Nutrition Values per 100 g
(Butterhead variety):
Calories: 13 kcal
Water: 96 g
Carbohydrates: 2.2 g
Fat: 0.2 g
Protein: 1.4 g
Dietary fibre: 1.1 g
Vitamin A: 166 ?g (18%)
Folate: 73 ?g (18%)
Vitamin C: 4 mg (7%)
Vitamin K: 24 ?g (23%)
Iron: 1.2 mg (10%)
Lettuce Nutrition and Health Benefits:
Lettuce can be eaten freely by diabetics, as it is very low in carbohydrate content.
Lettuce is great for dieters because it is very low in calories.
The high content of magnesium in the juice has exceptional power to vitalise the muscular tissues, the nerves and the brain.
Lettuce contains considerable amount of iron and supplies a good form of vegetable haemoglobin. Iron must be replenished frequently to meet the demands of the body.
Lettuce aids digestion and is associated with better liver health.
Lettuce has a good content of dietary fiber, it is good for those suffering from constipation and it does help digestion.
Romaine or cos lettuce is a great source of vitamin A- beta carotene,vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, manganese, and chromium. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, 6 vitamins and minerals.
Romaine lettuce has six times as much vitamin C , eight times as muchvitamin A, and three times as much calcium as iceberg lettuce.
Lettuce in general is a good source of vitamin K and chlorophyll.
Magnesium in lettuce is able to vitalize the muscular tissues, the brain and the nerves.
As a general rule, the darker green the leaves, the more nutritiousthe lettuce is. So you may want to choose romaine lettuce over iceberg as it is greener and a lot more nutritious.
