10 Surprising Nutrition Facts About Romaine Lettuce
Crisp romaine lettuce is a highly nutritious leafy green to use in a green smoothie. It has a mild flavor that is easily masked by fruit so it’s perfect if you’re new to green smoothies or making it for picky eaters.
You can add an entire head of lettuce to a fruit smoothie and not impact the taste at all. I typically toss in an entire head of romaine in my morning smoothie. It provides 106 calories and gives me a super jolt of nutrition first thing in the morning.
Here are some surprising nutrition facts about this wonderful smoothie (and salad) green:
1 – Protein. Believe it or not, romaine lettuce is 17% protein with 7.7 grams per head. It is also a complete protein! That means that it has all 8 essential amino acids, 9% RDA of some and up to 26% RDA of others.
2 – Calcium. One head of romaine has 206mg of calcium (about 21% RDA). Blend it with calcium rich fruits like papaya and oranges and you’ll get more calcium than a glass of milk!
3 – Omega-3s. One head of romaine lettuce contains 44% RDA of Omega-3 essential fats. Forget the tainted fish oils, reach for some leafy greens instead!
4 – More Vitamin C Than An Orange. One head of romaine contains 167% RDA of vitamin C while an average sized orange contains only 92%.
5 – Iron. One head of romaine contains 6mg of iron, which ads a significant source of iron to the diets of vegetarians and vegans.
6 – Romaine Lettuce is Rich in B-vitamins: Thiamine (B1) – 38% RDA, Riboflavin (B2) – 32% RDA, Niacin (B3) – 12% RDA, Pantothenic Acid (B5) – 18%, Pyridoxine (B6) – 36 %, Folate (B9) – 213%!
7 – Water. One head of romaine provides 16% of your daily water needs with about 20 ounces of water per head!
8 – Rich Source of vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and K. As with most leafy greens, romaine is super rich in beta-carotene with 1817% RDA per head and has 535% RDA of vitamin K.
9 – Low Levels of Oxalic Acid. If you have problems with calcium oxalate kidney stones, romaine lettuce might be a good choice for leafy greens since it is very low in this anti-nutrient.
10 – Mineral-Rich. Don’t let the lighter color of romaine lettuce fool you. This not-so-dark leafy green is rich in minerals. One head contains copper (33% RDA), magnesium (22% RDA), manganese (42% RDA), phosphorus (27% RDA), potassium (33%), selenium (5% RDA) and zinc (13% RDA).
How To Select And Store Romaine Lettuce
Choose bright, crisp heads of romaine lettuce. Avoid bunches that have rust, holes or that are limp, wilted or yellowing. It is common to find romaine that has slight browning along the very edges of the outer leaves. This is okay as long as the rest of the head looks fresh and green. I just trim the brown edges off the outer leaves.
Romaine is highly perishable. I store it in the fridge in a large plastic tub with a piece of paper towel to absorb excess moisture and condensation. My lettuce will keep for up to 5 days this way. If you store wet lettuce in a produce bag, it will likely only last a couple days.
Whenever possible, choose organic romaine (sames goes for any leafy green) as greens are often high in pesticide residue.
How To Use Romaine In A Green Smoothie
I use the entire head, including outer leaves. Wash each leaf and then add to your smoothie. I recommend that you add the fruit and blend it first, then add the lettuce so that it blends easily.
Because of it’s delicate flavor, lettuce is easily masked by just about any fruit you can think of. My usual recipe calls for 2-3 bananas, 1 mango, 1 tablespoon of flax, a few frozen strawberries (or 1/2 cup frozen blueberries) and an entire head of romaine. Now THAT is the breakfast of champions!
Browse some romaine lettuce green smoothie recipes here.
How To Maximize The Health Benefits Of Romaine Lettuce In Green Smoothies
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Tags: amino acids, b vitamins, beta-carotene, calcium, green smoothie, iron, lettuce, Nutrition, omega-3, oxalates, oxalic acid, protein, romaine, romaine lettuce, vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin k
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Wow, 2-3 Bananas? That’s a lot! Bananas are so difficult to digest, I try to keep my green smoothies limited to 1 at the most!
Jay, the recipe at the bottom of this article makes a big smoothie – about 40 ounces and that’s my breakfast. I have no problem digesting bananas as long as they are ripe (peel should have brown speckles) and I don’t mix with fats (ie: coconut oil, avocado, etc…), although a small amount of flax seed works for me. I usually eat about 9 bananas per day, on average.
These statistics are decieving. they are for a whole head of lettuce, not a serving size. No one eats a whole head of lettuce. The nutrients in a serving size are actually very limited. My friend has been eating lettuce thinking that it is an adequate protein supplament.
@Eric – The statistics in this article is for the entire head of romaine, which I clearly state. And yes, I am absolutely suggesting that people put an entire head of romaine in their green smoothies (I do this all the time), or at least eat an entire head of romaine (or the equivalent) in any given day. Our dietary recommendations are for 1-2 bunches of leafy greens per day for optimal health. We consider a head of romaine to be one bunch.
I buy the 3 pack of organic romaine hearts you can find in the bagged salad section. Does this have an impact on the nutritional value since they are not as green and “leafy”?
@Victoria – The bagged romaine hearts are smaller than regular heads of romaine leaves. Since they are smaller, they will not have the same nutrition value that full heads of romaine have. Also, they have had their darker, outer leaves removed, so that also affects nutrition value.