difference between lettuce and spinach?

KendalBeee
KendalBeee Posts: 2,269 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
What is the nutritional difference between lettuce and spinach?

Replies

  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    hm good question. can't help but I'd also like to know, bumping for later
  • suejonestx
    suejonestx Posts: 256 Member
    iceberg lettuce: http://www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Vegetables/Iceberg.html
    spinach: http://www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Vegetables/Spinach.html

    Basically, spinach is a superfood packed with nutrients, iceberg lettuce is mostly water. Check out the site for other types of lettuce, too. Your best bet is to eat a variety of different types of leafy greens (they say) to get the best well-rounded nutritional benefits.
  • DoneWithTheFatGirl
    DoneWithTheFatGirl Posts: 173
    I think they're pretty much the same. Both are full of iron and vitamin c and of course, fiber.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    I always go off the rule of the darker the green the better for you on lettuce/spinach. I don't remember where I heard it but it is something that has always stuck with me.
  • KendalBeee
    KendalBeee Posts: 2,269 Member
    thanks everyone!!
  • MirandaJayne
    MirandaJayne Posts: 600 Member
    Don't bother with Iceburg lettuce at all. You aren't getting any nutrients from it. If you want lettuce, go with a spring mix or romaine.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    According to the USDA database:

    Per 100g of Romaine lettuce:
    Calories 17
    Sodium 8 mg
    Total Fat 0 g
    Potassium 247 mg
    Saturated 0 g
    Total Carbs 3 g
    Polyunsaturated 0 g
    Dietary Fiber 2 g
    Monounsaturated 0 g
    Sugars 1 g
    Trans 0 g
    Protein 1 g
    Cholesterol 0 mg
    Vitamin A 116%
    Calcium 3%
    Vitamin C 40%
    Iron 5%

    Per 100g raw spinach:
    Calories 23
    Sodium 79 mg
    Total Fat 0 g
    Potassium 558 mg
    Saturated 0 g
    Total Carbs 4 g
    Polyunsaturated 0 g
    Dietary Fiber 2 g
    Monounsaturated 0 g
    Sugars 0 g
    Trans 0 g
    Protein 3 g
    Cholesterol 0 mg
    Vitamin A 188%
    Calcium 10%
    Vitamin C 47%
    Iron 15%
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    oooh great job little spz i have always wondered about this and now I know.
    seems like not much difference there huh except for protein, sodium, postassium, vitamin A and iron which seems like spinach has it better.
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
    When in doubt go for veggies with darker & richer colors - they tend to have more vitamins and minerals. :wink:
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    Iceburg lettuce per 100g:
    Calories: 14
    Total Fat 0.0 g
    Saturated Fat 0.0 g
    Cholesterol 0.0 mg
    Sodium 10.0 mg
    Total Carbohydrate 2.0 g
    Dietary Fiber 1.0 g
    Sugars 1.0 g
    Protein 0.0 g
    Vitamin A 10%
    Vitamin C 3%
    Calcium 2%
    Iron 0%
    Thiamin 0%
    Riboflavin 0%
    Niacin 0%
    Vitamin B6 0%
    Folate 7%
    Phosphorus 2%
    Zinc 0%
    Magnesium 2%


    So yeah. As you can see, iceburg doesn't have the worthwhlie amount of Vitamin A like the other 2. Nor does it have worthwhile amounts of anything else, really. I mean, we're talking per 100 grams of food here which is a significant amount of volume when you're talking about raw leafy greens. Cooked spinach is a pretty good choice because you're eating so much more of it, but... in a salad, any of the 3 are really just filler. :wink:

    Wow, I just realized I can't even remember the last time I ate a salad. :laugh:
  • rschwa
    rschwa Posts: 27
    An interesting fact about spinach - kept under continuous fluorescent lighting in the supermarket, spinach actually increases in nutrient density over the course of several days. You might not want to pick the absolute freshest bunch they have!

    http://www.physorg.com/news186838048.html
  • missymrowland
    missymrowland Posts: 5
    interesting.
  • nickkehagias
    nickkehagias Posts: 51
    Iceberg lettuce actually has more cancer-fighting anti-oxidants than the other lettuces. Men's health published an article about it a while back.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    Iceberg lettuce actually has more cancer-fighting anti-oxidants than the other lettuces. Men's health published an article about it a while back.

    Is this supposed to be a redeeming quality -- like "Well, it's pretty worthless nutritionally speaking.. BUT...."? Or is it actually a reason someone should choose iceburg over the others? Just curious if you noticed the tone of the article.

    The article I found about it says the antioxidants in the lettuce leaves are increased when the leaf is wounded... in both iceburg and romaine lettuce.
    http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf020721c
    A quick Google search doesn't produce any other obvious results about iceberg lettuce and antioxidants. :ohwell: I'd love to read more about it, but you know, I'm really not going to go search though all the past issues of Men's Health to try and find it. And, actually everything I'm finding with a quick search online (which, I'm fully aware means nothing) says just the opposite -- that the lettuces with more pigment and a more bitter taste (ie not iceberg) have more antioxidants.
    Sources anyone? I'm not being a jerk -- I honestly want to read more! :laugh:
  • nickkehagias
    nickkehagias Posts: 51
    Iceberg lettuce actually has more cancer-fighting anti-oxidants than the other lettuces. Men's health published an article about it a while back.

    Is this supposed to be a redeeming quality -- like "Well, it's pretty worthless nutritionally speaking.. BUT...."? Or is it actually a reason someone should choose iceburg over the others? Just curious if you noticed the tone of the article.

    The article I found about it says the antioxidants in the lettuce leaves are increased when the leaf is wounded... in both iceburg and romaine lettuce.
    http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf020721c
    A quick Google search doesn't produce any other obvious results about iceberg lettuce and antioxidants. :ohwell: I'd love to read more about it, but you know, I'm really not going to go search though all the past issues of Men's Health to try and find it. And, actually everything I'm finding with a quick search online (which, I'm fully aware means nothing) says just the opposite -- that the lettuces with more pigment and a more bitter taste (ie not iceberg) have more antioxidants.
    Sources anyone? I'm not being a jerk -- I honestly want to read more! :laugh:

    http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/iceberg-lettuce?slideshow=77695

    First thing on google when I searched.
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