Many people love their salads. I enjoy them regularly, and my husband eats one 2 times daily. A creative salad can be a tasty, crunchy way of getting lots of veggies, especially raw leafy greens. It’s one of the few vegetables that’s routinely providing much-needed fiber, water, and micronutrients. In fact, iceberg lettuce was the first fresh produce item, other than root vegetables, that Americans were able to buy all year round in grocery stores.
For decades, iceberg dominated the lettuce market. But these days, other varieties like butterhead, romaine, and firmer leaf-types are available and seen on many salads. did you know that more iceberg lettuce is grown in California than all other varieties combined? It’s cheaper to grow than the others and is an indispensable ingredient in many fast food meals. McDonald's buys the most iceberg lettuce in the world.
Lettuce is actually part of the daisy and sunflower family. It was originally cultivated by the ancient Egyptians. Originally the Egyptians used the lettuce seeds for their oil. There are 4 types of lettuce grown commercially today: cos/romaine, loose-leaf, crisphead, and butterhead. There are also a number of leafy salad greens, including endive, frisée, and radicchio, that are commonly referred to as lettuces, but are actually members of the chicory family of vegetables. They are thicker in texture, and taste slightly bitter. Since there’s no single kind of lettuce, there’s no definitive nutritional profile for the plant. The nutrient composition varies among the different types. That said, there are some generalizations that do apply.
Like many other plants, the darker the color, the more nutrition and antioxidants the lettuce contains. These nutrients typically include vitamins A, C, and K1, as well as select B vitamins (like folate). Lettuce leaves also often contain polyphenols, carotenoids, and flavonols. Green lettuce types contain more chlorophyll, while the red types provide more anthocyanins. By weight, the main nutrient in lettuce is water. Nutritionally, that’s not a bad thing, as many people need to drink more water than they currently do. Lettuce has a lot of fiber, which adds bulk to stools and helps with constipation.
Let us hear what you think about lettuce!
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self Series
-CPT, CFI, Life and Wellness Coach
-Nutrition Educator
www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
-SuperiorSelf on YouTube
-superiorself on Instagram, Twitter
-KJ Landis on LinkedIn
-Superior Self with KJ Landis on Facebook
-superiorselfwithkjlandis on TikTok
Books available wherever books are sold.
Whatever gets us eating healthier will help us in all facets of our lives because what we eat becomes us.
For decades, iceberg dominated the lettuce market. But these days, other varieties like butterhead, romaine, and firmer leaf-types are available and seen on many salads. did you know that more iceberg lettuce is grown in California than all other varieties combined? It’s cheaper to grow than the others and is an indispensable ingredient in many fast food meals. McDonald's buys the most iceberg lettuce in the world.
Lettuce is actually part of the daisy and sunflower family. It was originally cultivated by the ancient Egyptians. Originally the Egyptians used the lettuce seeds for their oil. There are 4 types of lettuce grown commercially today: cos/romaine, loose-leaf, crisphead, and butterhead. There are also a number of leafy salad greens, including endive, frisée, and radicchio, that are commonly referred to as lettuces, but are actually members of the chicory family of vegetables. They are thicker in texture, and taste slightly bitter. Since there’s no single kind of lettuce, there’s no definitive nutritional profile for the plant. The nutrient composition varies among the different types. That said, there are some generalizations that do apply.
Like many other plants, the darker the color, the more nutrition and antioxidants the lettuce contains. These nutrients typically include vitamins A, C, and K1, as well as select B vitamins (like folate). Lettuce leaves also often contain polyphenols, carotenoids, and flavonols. Green lettuce types contain more chlorophyll, while the red types provide more anthocyanins. By weight, the main nutrient in lettuce is water. Nutritionally, that’s not a bad thing, as many people need to drink more water than they currently do. Lettuce has a lot of fiber, which adds bulk to stools and helps with constipation.
Let us hear what you think about lettuce!
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self Series
-CPT, CFI, Life and Wellness Coach
-Nutrition Educator
www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
-SuperiorSelf on YouTube
-superiorself on Instagram, Twitter
-KJ Landis on LinkedIn
-Superior Self with KJ Landis on Facebook
-superiorselfwithkjlandis on TikTok
Books available wherever books are sold.
Whatever gets us eating healthier will help us in all facets of our lives because what we eat becomes us.
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