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Does Iceberg Lettuce Really Have No Nutritional Value?

Iceberg lettuce is classic, sure. It’s a must for those satisfyingly crispy-creamy wedge salads drizzled with blue cheese at pretty much every fancy steakhouse in America. You absolutely need it for standard cookout burgers or old-school tacos (especially ones with the crunchy shell). And you can’t have a solid sub or hoagie sandwich without it. But it’s not, well, cool in the wellness world. Iceberg probably isn’t going into a $12 lunch salad, or a fancy grain bowl, or a green smoothie. And chances are you’re not going to find it on an artisanal grilled cheese or as a topper for a beet-and-hemp-seed veggie burger. Above all, iceberg lettuce likely won’t be the kind you pick when your goal…

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  5 Iceberg Lettuce Myths That Need to Melt Away

In comparison to its leafy counterparts, iceberg lettuce does not always enjoy sterling PR as a powerful health food. Here are five myths about under-appreciated iceberg that definitely deserve busting.

 How Iceberg Lettuce Wedged Its Way Into American Culture

The easiest way to core iceberg lettuce is to firmly whack the head, core side down, against the kitchen counter. The force dislocates the core from the tight leaf structure, and, with a quick twist, it pops right out. America’s relationship with iceberg lettuce may have once been this simple—and satisfying—but in recent years, iceberg’s reputation has wilted under nutritional and environmental scrutiny. On the other hand, iceberg recipes continue to pop up online and in cookbooks; they’re handed down, swapped, and treasured. And at some point, iceberg lettuce became a signifier of taste, class, and values: deficient for some, yet irreplaceable for others.

Articles of Interest

A Love Letter to Iceberg Lettuce

When you hear the words, “iceberg lettuce,” what comes to mind? Does it make you think of salad, a hamburger topping, an essential part of Taco Tuesday? And also, would you consider it a healthy food? For as long as I can remember, I’ve always heard people say, “Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value.” So, being the health-conscious girl that I am, I used to never buy it. I would snub my nose at it, walking past it at the supermarket as I headed for things like kale and arugula.

Actually, Wedge Salads Are an Abomination

Iceberg, on the other hand, tastes like solidified water—which, yes, is ice. Its fault lies in its name! It’s filler lettuce with virtually no nutritional value. The iceberg supporters out there like to defend its texture, which they claim makes the crispest salad and adds desirable crunch to sandwiches. To that I say, HELLO ROMAINE, and have you tried adding chips to your hoagie? All of the crunch, none of the sog.

Beware the Evil Salad!

Iceberg Lettuce: Yes, it's low-cal (15 calories and zero fat for 2 cups), but you'll miss out on key vitamins like A, C and K found in darker greens.

Does Iceberg Lettuce Have Any Nutritional Value?

Iceberg lettuce is the statement necklace of vegetables. Let us explain. The crisp lettuce we put on everything from hamburgers to tacos is definitely a staple in many refrigerators. We like accessorizing our foods with it, but does it actually add anything to our diet? Yes and no. Iceberg lettuce provides a satisfying crunchiness to salads and sandwiches, but it shouldn’t be the only green in your diet — much like your statement necklace isn’t the only thing in your wardrobe — that’s because iceberg lettuce isn’t one of the most nutrient-dense salad greens. But it can have a place in a balanced diet.

How to Keep Lettuce From Getting Slimy and Gross

Have you ever wondered why your lettuce wilt so fast? You are probably storing it wrong! Let Kitchen Tips Online on YouTube teach you how to keep lettuce from getting slimy and gross with this simple storing hack. Many delicious recipes can be made with lettuce.

Iceberg lettuce: Not just water

For years, iceberg lettuce has been left out of the salad bowl having been deemed of having no nutritional value. Iceberg gets passed by for other more power-packed greens such as Romaine lettuce, spinach, red leaf lettuce and the like. Many people, however, prefer the crispness of iceberg, which until the 1930s was called crisphead lettuce, to other lettuce choices. The crispness of iceberg is unique. No other lettuce has the same cool, enjoyable crunch. Iceberg is the lettuce that my generation grew up with — it wasn’t a salad if it didn’t start with iceberg.

I’m a Dietitian and I Only Buy Iceberg Lettuce for Salads—Here’s Why

When it comes to my lettuce of choice, it often seems like people half-expect me to swoop down on a deep green pile of kale. It makes sense. Generally speaking, darker-colored leafy greens do harbor more nutrients than their lighter-leaved counterparts.1 With more than a dozen varieties of lettuce to choose from, picking the best one isn’t exactly easy! But, to the wide-eyed disbelief of my friends and clients, I’m not always rolling with the colorful heavyweights. I’ll admit it—I’m a dietitian who only buys iceberg lettuce. And here's why.

Myth-Busting for a More Nutritious Salad

Myth: Iceberg lettuce is not nutritious. Fact: It is! In fact, two cups of iceberg lettuce provide over 10% of an adult’s dietary requirement for folate and nearly 40% of the requirements for vitamin K. It also lends a decent amount of vitamin A, too! While its greener lettuce counterparts may deliver more nutrition, that does not mean we should dismiss iceberg lettuce entirely – especially when it acts as a vehicle for other healthy ingredients.

The Charms of the Loser Lettuces

FOR many people, the world of lettuce has changed enormously in the last decade. The standard is no longer head lettuce, but mesclun, or “baby lettuce mix,” or whatever you choose to call the omnipresent pile of variably colored leaves, tissue-thin and textureless. (I’m aware there’s sometimes a bit of radicchio thrown in there for color and flavor, but the amount is insignificant.)

The tip of the iceberg

I realise, now, that I've been deeply wrong for most of the culinary phase of my life. Yes, iceberg is a commercial lettuce, designed for shelf life and appearance over taste and has the nutritional value of cellophane - but all that is just as true of frisee or chicory. The problem with sexy and fashionable lettuces is that you can't put anything fun on them. You're restricted by aching fashionability to a boring little spritz of lemon juice, costly oil and maybe a shaving of parmesan.

The Ultimate Guide to Iceberg Lettuce Benefits

Iceberg lettuce is often maligned for its perceived lack of nutritional value compared to its leafy green counterparts. However, this crunchy and refreshing vegetable has more to offer than meets the eye.

Tip of the Iceberg: Our Love-Hate Relationship With the Nation’s Blandest Vegetable

It’s never been the most nutritious green at the grocers, but the versatile lettuce has a knack for sticking around on the dinner table. But first a note—for those who aren’t old enough to remember—about just how ubiquitous Iceberg lettuce once was. Introduced for commercial production in the late 1940s, Iceberg (or crisphead) lettuce was the only variety bred to survive cross-country travel (the name Iceberg comes from the piles of ice they would pack the light green lettuce heads in before the advent of the refrigerated train car). Therefore, throughout the middle of the century, unless you grew your own or dined in a high-end establishment, iceberg essentially was lettuce.

Your Parents Lied: Salad Isn't Actually That Good For You

According to a Washington Post essay by writer Tamar Haspel, most leafy greens are more than 90% water. Now, for greens that are generally eaten cooked, this isn’t too much of an issue – cooking them releases the water, so you’re consuming a much larger amount (aka more nutrients) per serving size. But with your typical salad greens that are eaten raw – think iceberg and romaine – what you’re chewing may be only slightly different than what you’re getting from your water glass.

Resources

6 Benefits of Having a Iceberg Lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to shed a few pounds. With only about 10 calories per cup when shredded, it fits perfectly into weight loss diets without sacrificing volume.