There is an abundance of nutrition articles and studies that promote the benefits of eating green, leafy vegetables. However, if you do not consume kale, spinach, bok choy and lettuce on a frequent basis, it can be confusing to decipher the differences between the varieties of lettuces. Some greens are better eaten raw on salads while others taste best when cooked. Red leaf lettuce is one type of vegetable that contains a high level of nutrients and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Red Leaf Lettuce
Red leaf lettuce is a loose-leaf lettuce. The red leaf lettuce may be distinguished from green leaf lettuce by the color of the leafs, specifically the end of the leaf. The tips or ends of red leaf lettuce appear dark purple. Red leaf lettuce is an annual plant that thrives in full sun in the spring and fall growing seasons and partial shade in the summer.
Nutrition
According to the USDA nutrient database, one serving of red leaf lettuce (85 g) contains 127 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin A and 149 percent for vitamin K. One serving contains only 14 calories and no grams of sugar. Red leaf lettuce contains small amounts of vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid. It also contains small amounts of the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.
Comparison to Other Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is commonly used in salads. However, it contains fewer nutrients than red leaf lettuce. While red leaf lettuce contains 127 percent USDA daily recommended value (DV) vitamin A and 149 percent DV vitamin K, iceberg lettuce only contains 9 percent DV vitamin A and 27 percent DV vitamin K when comparing the same serving size. Raw spinach, however, has 161 percent DV vitamin A, 510 percent DV vitamin K, and 42 percent DV vitamin C, in the same serving size of 85 grams.
Uses
Red leaf lettuce works well as a salad base. When preparing raw leaf lettuce, wash thoroughly with cold water to remove any dirt from the lettuce. Remove the lettuce leaves from the core and then chop or cut the leaves into manageable pieces for a salad. Place the leaves on sandwiches. While it may be difficult to properly cook leaf lettuce, it is possible. Cooked leaf lettuce may be included in soups or stews. Avoid overcooking. Juice raw leaf lettuce and combine with other raw vegetables or fruit juices for a healthy, concentrated source of nutrients.
Types of Lettuce
There are five groups of lettuce. They include loose-leaf, romaine, crisphead, butterhead and stem. Loose-leaf lettuce produces crisp leaves around a stalk. Romain lettuce has a longer stalk than loose-leaf lettuce and the leaves remain tight to the stalk. Butterhead varieties tend to be smaller and contain leafs with a sweet flavor. Stem lettuce produces a large stalk that is generally cooked because of its toughness.
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