Arugula vs. Romaine Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Arugula and Romaine Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
arugula
versus
romaine lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in arugula and romaine lettuce:
- Both romaine lettuce and arugula are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K and potassium.
- Arugula has more pantothenic acid.
- Arugula is a great source of Vitamin C.
- Arugula is an excellent source of calcium.
- Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Arugula (Arugula, raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Romaine lettuce and arugula contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories per 100 grams and arugula has 25 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, arugula is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to romaine lettuce per calorie. Arugula has a macronutrient ratio of 50:50:0 and for romaine lettuce, 26:65:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Arugula | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 50% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 50% | 65% |
| Fat | ~ | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both romaine lettuce and arugula are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and arugula has 3.7g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar, whereas the carbs in arugula comprise of 56% sugar and 44% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 31% more dietary fiber than arugula - romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and arugula has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Romaine lettuce and arugula contain similar amounts of sugar - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar per 100 grams and arugula has 2.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Romaine lettuce and arugula contain similar amounts of protein - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and arugula has 2.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both romaine lettuce and arugula are low in saturated fat - romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and arugula has 0.09g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Arugula is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 275% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and arugula has 15mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both romaine lettuce and arugula are high in Vitamin A. Romaine lettuce has 266% more Vitamin A than arugula - romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and arugula has 119ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Romaine lettuce and arugula contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and arugula has 0.43mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both romaine lettuce and arugula are high in Vitamin K. Romaine lettuce is very similar to romaine lettuce for Vitamin K - romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and arugula has 108.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Arugula has more pantothenic acid. Both arugula and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Arugula | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.044 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.086 MG | 0.067 MG |
| Niacin | 0.305 MG | 0.313 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.437 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.073 MG | 0.074 MG |
| Folate | 97 UG | 136 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Arugula is an excellent source of calcium and it has 385% more calcium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and arugula has 160mg of calcium.
iron
Arugula has 51% more iron than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and arugula has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both romaine lettuce and arugula are high in potassium. Arugula has 49% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium per 100 grams and arugula has 369mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds,
| Arugula | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 4.3 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 34.89 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Quercetin | 7.92 mg | 2.2 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.05 mg |
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, both arugula and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Arugula | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1424 UG | 5226 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 3555 UG | 2312 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both arugula and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Arugula | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.17 G | 0.113 G |
| Total | 0.17 G | 0.113 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, arugula has more linoleic acid than romaine lettuce per 100 grams.
| Arugula | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.13 G | 0.047 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.132 G | 0.047 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Arugula (Arugula, raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .
Arugula g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Romaine Lettuce g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does romaine lettuce or arugula contain more calories in 100 grams?Romaine lettuce and arugula contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories in 100g and arugula has 25 calories.
Is romaine lettuce or arugula better for protein?
Romaine lettuce and arugula contain similar amounts of protein - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and arugula has 2.6g of protein.
Does romaine lettuce or arugula have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both romaine lettuce and arugula are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbs for 100g and arugula has 3.7g of carbohydrates. the carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar, whereas the carbs in arugula comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.
Does romaine lettuce or arugula contain more calcium?
Arugula is a rich source of calcium and it has 390% more calcium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium in 100 grams and arugula has 160mg of calcium.
Does romaine lettuce or arugula contain more potassium?
Both romaine lettuce and arugula are high in potassium. Arugula has 50% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium in 100 grams and arugula has 369mg of potassium.