Although iceberg lettuce provides vitamin K, it is lower in most other vitamins and minerals than other types of leaf lettuce. When making a salad, using a leaf lettuce, such as romaine, will provide you with more vitamin A, folate, copper and iron than iceberg. You can increase the vitamin and mineral content of your salad even more by adding other greens, such as spinach or chard.
Iceberg
One cup of iceberg lettuce contains 10 calories, which come from 2 g of carbohydrates and 0.7 g of protein. Iceberg lettuce is low in nearly all vitamins and minerals. One cup provides 5 percent of folate and 14 percent of vitamin K, but less than 5 percent of all other nutrients. Vitamin K, which is found in most leafy greens, helps your blood clot.
Green Leaf Lettuce
Green leaf lettuce is also low in calories, with only 5 per cup. Although green leaf also contains less than 5 percent of all minerals, it contains a significant amount of vitamins A and K. One cup supplies 38 percent of the daily value of vitamin K and 15 percent of vitamin A. Vitamin A supports your immune system and your vision.
Red Leaf Lettuce
Red leaf lettuce is similar in nutritional content to green leaf lettuce. One cup contains 8 calories. Each cup also supplies 12 percent of vitamin A and 33 percent of vitamin K. One cup provides less than 5 percent of all other vitamins and minerals.
Butterhead Lettuce
With 7 calories per cup, butterhead lettuce is higher in iron than other types of lettuce. One cup provides 9 percent of the daily value for men. Because women need more iron, one cup meets only 4 percent of their daily requirement. One cup of butterhead lettuce also supplies 10 percent of folate, 10 percent of vitamin A and 47 percent of vitamin K.
Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce contains 8 calories per cup. Each cup supplies 6 percent of iron for men and 3 percent for women. Romaine lettuce also provides copper, with each cup supplying 12 percent of the daily value. Along with iron, copper helps you form red blood cells. Folate helps you produce red blood cells as well, and one cup of romaine supplies 16 percent of the daily value. Folate also helps you manufacture white blood cells, which are essential for proper immune system function. One cup of romaine lettuce also provides 23 percent of vitamin A and 40 percent of vitamin K.
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