Everyday I am constantly asked, “Mary which is better, romaine or iceberg?” Well when it comes to our leafy greens, Romaine is indeed better. According to the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory these are the nutrition values for one cup of Iceberg and once cup of Romaine. Aside from nutritional facts you also want to think about what you are cooking. If it is just casual on the go salad’s absolutely choose romaine, however if you are making a classic dish like the wedge you might want to stick with what works, the Iceberg.
Iceberg- Great for wedge salads• 8 calories
• 0.5 gram protein
• 0.7 gram fiber
• 10 mg calcium
• 78 mg potassium
• 1.5 mg vitamin C
• 16 mcg folate
• 13.3 mcg of vitamin K
• 164 mcg beta carotene
• 152 mcg of lutein + zeaxanthin.
Romaine- Great for everything else!
• contains 8 calories
• 0.58 gram protein
• 1 gram fiber
• 16 mg calcium
• 116 mg potassium
• 11.3 mg vitamin C
• 64 mcg folate
• 48.2 mcg vitamin K
• 1637 mcg beta carotene
• 1087 mcg of lutein + zeaxanthin.
Numbers don’t lie so when deciding which lettuce to buy go with romaine because the darker the green the more nutrients it has. At the end of the day we all want to be healthy even if you are on a budget, live in a residence hall, or don’t know where to begin.
Please Follow us on Twitter. Go to www.marypaynemoran.com to find us on Twitter and Facebook
