Different Types Of Lettuce Leafs For Salads

Hello and Welcome,

Do you enjoy a good salad? Are you someone who only orders mixed greens while dinning out?

There are so many different types of lettuce leafs you can purchase at your local grocery store or fruit and vegetable stands/stores.

Salad is mainly known as a starter to a great meal but over the years salads have become more popular and many people order entree salads as a meal and when people order a salad as a main course people add grill chicken, steak, shrimp or fish.

There are dozens of different kinds of lettuce leafs and each offer some kind of nutrients and health benefits. This Hub is dedicated to learning about different kinds of lettuce leafs so you can create your own healthy salad at home.

Leafs or Leaves as plural. It's a personal choice.

Iceberg lettuce is the most known and popular lettuce sold in grocery stores. The picture to the right is a head of Iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce does not have many nutrients but it does offer a fresh and crispy crunch. Iceberg lettuce offers much less nutritional value than darker lettuces.

Green leaf lettuce contains large amounts of vitamins A and K.  Green leaf lettuce is also used as a natural antioxidant.  The antioxidants are beta carotene and lutein.  Beta carotene is usually found in fruits and vegetables.  Lutein is usually found in dark-green leafy vegetables.

Have you ever considered red-tip leaf lettuce? Red leaf lettuce holds much more nutrients compared to Iceberg lettuce. The red pigment holds small amounts of antioxidants. The vitamins found in red-tip leaf lettuce are vitamin A and vitamin K. The antioxidants are beta carotene and lutein.

Radicchio is a popular Italian vegetable and sometimes known as Italian chicory. Radicchio looks like the heart of a red cabbage and it's size is similar to a small head of Iceberg lettuce. Radicchio has vitamin A and C, Calcium and Iron.

Frisee is a curly lettuce with long tender leafs joined to a whitish stem. The leafs come is shades of green and sometimes the tips of the leafs are reddish. High in water content with vitamins A, B, C and E.

Belgian endive is a great leaf to mix in your salads AND endive is perfect to create a delicious appetizer. I use this leaf weekly. It's perfect to place a cold cucumber salad on one leaf at a time. You can also place fresh mozzarella tomato salad on each leaf too. Place each leaf on a platter with the salads on each leaf and your company simply picks up a leaf to eat. It's presentation is beautiful and flavorsome at the same time. No fork needed.

Endive is a part of the chicory family. Rich in potassium, calcium, vitamins B, C and E, beta-carotene and cellulose.

Give your salad a huge pop of taste. Baby arugula adds much pizazz to bland lettuces. Arugula adds the same flavor impact as onions but without the onion aftertaste.

Vitamins found in baby arugula are A, C, K and Folic acid. Ready absorbable iron, magnesium, calcium, copper and potassium are found in baby arugula.

Spinach is so powerful because of it's nutritious value.  It is packed with vitamins A, C, E, K, B_2, and B_6.  High level of lutein and also has magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, calcium, potassium, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.  Mixing fresh raw spinach into your salad to reap all of the healthy value is the best way to get all of the above into your diet.

Bibb lettuce leaves are considered a delicacy among among lettuces. The leaves offer a unique buttery flavor filled with vitamin A and Folate and have a crisp but tender texture. The leaves are very delicate and wilt quickly. To prepare before serving the leaves are placed in cold water then padded dry.

Romaine lettuce is also know as cos lettuce. It's leaf offers a crispy texture with a slightly bitter flavor. The vitamins found in romaine lettuce are A and C with calcium, folate, iron, phosphorus and potassium.

Romain lettuce leafs are great alternative to bread. If your dieting use large romaine lettuce leafs to create a sandwich. Great while eating chicken salad, tuna salad or vegetable salads. You cut down the calories while increasing your vitamins and nutrients.

Also known as lambs lettuce, field salad and corn salad mache has a huge amount of vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, B_6, B₉ and omega-3 fatty acids. When eaten raw mache has Folic acid known as the wellness vitamin and helps with sleep, prevents irritability and fatigue. When cooked mache losses 50% of it's Folic acid content.

I'm know there are literally dozens of more lettuce leafs to add but the lettuce leafs I discuss here are the lettuce leafs I use weekly. I'm not much of a health buff but I do enjoy salads.

Adding more vegetables to any salad can only help you lose weight in addition to getting your daily dose of vitamins and nutrients. You can also add grill chicken (you can grill chicken within minutes), grill salmon, tuna or steak. Whipping up a hearty salad with protein added can be very satisfying and filling while eating healthier.