Iceberg Lettuce vs. Romaine Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Iceberg Lettuce and Romaine Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
iceberg lettuce
versus
romaine lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce:
- Romaine lettuce has more riboflavin and folate.
- Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), 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 iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, iceberg lettuce is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to romaine lettuce for fat. Iceberg lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 21:72:8 and for romaine lettuce, 26:65:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Iceberg Lettuce | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 72% | 65% |
| Fat | 8% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar, whereas the carbs in iceberg lettuce comprise of 62% sugar and 38% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 75% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce are low in saturated fat - romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 16 times more Vitamin A than iceberg lettuce - romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 325% more Vitamin K than iceberg lettuce - romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Romaine lettuce has more riboflavin and folate. Both iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.025 MG | 0.067 MG |
| Niacin | 0.123 MG | 0.313 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.091 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.042 MG | 0.074 MG |
| Folate | 29 UG | 136 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Romaine lettuce has 83% more calcium than iceberg lettuce - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium.
iron
Romaine lettuce has 137% more iron than iceberg lettuce - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron.
potassium
Romaine lettuce is a great source of potassium and it has 75% more potassium than iceberg lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 141mg 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, both iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.13 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.03 mg | 0.05 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.15 mg | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | 0.06 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 1.42 mg | 2.2 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,
| Iceberg Lettuce | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 299 UG | 5226 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 4 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 277 UG | 2312 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, romaine lettuce has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than iceberg lettuce per 100 grams.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.052 G | 0.113 G |
| Total | 0.052 G | 0.113 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.021 G | 0.047 G |
| Total | 0.021 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: Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .
Iceberg Lettuce 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 iceberg lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories in 100g and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.
Does romaine lettuce or iceberg lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbs for 100g and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar, whereas the carbs in iceberg lettuce comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.