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Green leaf lettuce is a garden annual or two-year crop from the Aster family, Compound flowers. The homeland of the plant’s origin is the Mediterranean.
Today, farmers everywhere grow leaf lettuce in vegetable gardens. It is a “light” product that will perfectly complement the diet of a convinced vegetarian, a raw food eater, a curvy young lady, a child, an athlete, a pregnant woman, an elderly person.
You can eat green lettuce leaves fresh, use them to decorate dishes, serve them with soups, meat and fish, spicy dressings. During heat treatment, the product loses most of its beneficial properties.
For the first time, the Greeks and Romans started talking about the healing properties of lettuce, since then it has taken an honorable position among the greens on European tables. The plant itself is low-calorie, it consists of 92 % water, and 100 grams contain 12-23 kcal (depending on the species).
Romaine is annual head lettuce, is a subspecies of lettuce, having juicy and crispy leaves collected in an elongated loosehead. The color of the leaves is bright green at the edges, it brightens to almost white by the middle.
Romano is the oldest and most popular salad in the world, it is with its leaves that chefs and chefs of haute cuisine prepare the famous and beloved Caesar salad.
Green leaf lettuce VS romaine taste
Romaine lettuce is one of the varieties of lettuce. This green leafy vegetable has a crisp texture and a sharp, neutral taste. Romaine lettuce belongs to the same plant family, which includes daisies and thistles.
Chefs often use romaine in all kinds of dishes from soups to ordinary salad mixes. The product has a delicate nutty taste and a barely noticeable bitterness, which distinguishes it from other leafy greens.
Richly seasoned with spices, romaine is a gastronomic pleasure and a kind of explosion for the taste buds. You can make vitamin refreshing smoothies, juices, meat/fish dishes from it.
Green leaf belongs to the group of fresh salads. It does not contain acidic or bitter substances, only the leaves of Chinese lettuce have a sharp elongated shape. It has a sharp bitter taste. Therefore, chefs recommend using it in hot dishes.
Green leaf VS romaine lettuce nutrition
The chemical composition of the salad contains vitamins:
E, A, K, B1, B2, B5, B6, H, PP, folic and ascorbic acids, beta-carotene and choline, as well as minerals such as selenium, magnesium, iron, sodium, manganese, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and calcium.
The caloric content of Romano salad is 17 kcal per 100 grams of the product. Previously, people used romaine lettuce only for medicinal purposes. Its beneficial properties are due to its rich chemical composition.
The benefit of romano lies in its ability to normalize the work of the cardiovascular system of the human body, the level of hemoglobin in the blood, blood pressure, reduce the deposition of harmful salts.
The use of Romano salad contributes to the normalization of the water-salt balance of the human body, due to the minimum calorie content, it is indispensable for diets.
According to the content of ascorbic acid, green salad surpasses citrus fruits. Experts recommend eating it fresh. Due to the high content of vitamin C, greens resist cell aging and are a powerful antioxidant.
In addition, lettuce contains enzymes that control the growth of seeds (sucrose, ascorbic oxidase, peroxidase, catalase, amylase, lipase), phenolic and coloring compounds (flavones, polyphenols, anthocyanins), and fat-soluble pigments (xanthophyll, carotene, chlorophyll).
The chemical composition of lettuce changes under the influence of environmental factors (climatic conditions, soil, growing season, lighting intensity) and depends on the plant variety, cultivation technologies, storage.
Lettuce contains more carotene, ascorbic acid, and dry matter than cabbage. In early-ripening varieties of lettuce of the second type, the amount of raw protein and vitamin C in the stems is higher than in late-ripening varieties.
Health benefits
Eating leafy greens is significant for creating a healthy body and immune system. It helps to strengthen the respiratory system and helps in cleansing the blood. Leafy green vegetables are also highly alkaline foods.
As a result, the alkaline minerals in the body neutralize the acidic conditions caused by the environment. Therefore, green vegetables help replenish our alkaline mineral reserves and thereby filter out harmful substances. Leafy greens:
- increases the volume of circulating blood
- improves the function of the gallbladder, liver, and kidneys
- helps to eliminate harmful accumulations, especially in the lungs, by reducing the production of mucus
- promotes healthy intestinal microflora
- helps to purify the blood
- reduces the risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and the development of type 2 diabetes
Green vegetables are natural multivitamins and antioxidants.
These elements are necessary to support many different processes in the human body, including lowering cholesterol levels, improving vision, increasing immunity, and helping in the fight against excess weight. They are an excellent source of fiber and water, which control the functioning of the digestive system.
Green leaf lettuce VS iceberg
Although icebergs and lettuce are leafy vegetables, there are some differences between them. Lettuce leaves, unlike icebergs, have a burgundy-green color, they are collected in loose heads and have a less pronounced taste.
The iceberg is not only different in color. It contains more nutrients, but lettuce is more saturated with minerals.
We can characterize icebergs by the juiciness of the leaves, rich taste, and crunch. Lettuce and iceberg can not be confused. The first one has an oblong shape and white-green wavy leaves, and the iceberg is distinguished by the rounded shape of the head with bright green straight leaves.
What is another name for green leaf lettuce?
There are more than a hundred varieties of salads. They differ in shape, color, size, and taste.
- Iceberg. It owes its name to the method of storage during transportation. The concentration of water in it is higher than in other types of lettuce. It has a neutral taste, crunches like fresh cabbage. The composition of the iceberg includes vitamins A, C, K, B3, B9, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium.
- Arugula. It has a pronounced spicy nut-pepper taste. It contains vitamins A, K, E, C, B, iron, magnesium, iodine, and carotenoids in the leaves and essential oils in the seeds. Freshly squeezed juice from lettuce helps in the fight against ulcers, polyps, hematite, calluses.
- Mash-salad. It is an annual garden crop with dark leaves collected in a loose rosette. They have an oval configuration. The taste of mash salad is gently nutty, the aroma is unobtrusively spicy. The composition of the leaves includes iron, sodium, flavonoids, vitamins A, C, E, B3, B9. It goes well in salads with toasted croutons, citrus fruits, game, lingonberry sauce.
- Watercress salad. It is an annual herb of the cruciferous family, which can be grown both in the garden in summer and on the windowsill in the apartment in winter.
- Romain. An annual head salad with crisp bright green leaves that lighten in the middle and have a delicate nutty taste. The chemical composition: vitamins A, E, K, H, PP, B1, B2, B9, C, sodium, zinc, selenium, magnesium, iron.
- Radicchio. It is a cabbage salad with bright purple leaves of the chicory family. There is a slight bitterness in the taste of radicchio, it is considered a universal additive to vegetables with a neutral taste.
- Frieze. This plant is a one-year-old of the Endive family. The leaves of this species are curly, white to the center, light green at the edges, taste with a slight bitterness. They contain vitamins A, B2, C, PP, magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, iron. Lettuce leaves produce substance inhibin, which increases appetite, stimulates digestion.
- Lollo-rosso. It is a kind of lettuce. The corrugated lettuce leaves have a greenish-red hue, differ in a rich bitter taste with nutty notes. It contains provitamin A, ascorbic acid, cobalt, iodine, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium.
What lettuce is the healthiest to eat?
All salads have beneficial properties, but there are also recognized “champions” among them:
- Green lettuce contains a daily norm of vitamin K, the nutrient lactucin, which calms the nervous system and helps to cope with insomnia. It also contains iron, which is very effective for anemia, vitamins A, C, B1, B2, P, E, folic acid, carotene, mineral salts.
- Roman salad (or Chinese cabbage) contains folic acid, vitamins of groups A, B, K, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc. It is effective in the fight against depression, stimulates the production of hormones, and strengthens bone tissue.
- Spinach. It contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, C, B3, B12, folic acid, protein, beneficial flavonoids, and antioxidants. It strengthens the immune system, improves vision, gives health and radiance to the skin.
What is the best lettuce for the salad?
Iceberg salad is a kind of lettuce. Externally, this salad resembles a young white cabbage, it crunches well and gives a lot of juice. You can prepare the famous and delicious Caesar with iceberg salad.
Necessary ingredients:
- Green salad – 1 bunch
- Tomatoes – 1 piece
- Chicken fillet – 300 g
- White bread – 6 pieces
- Caesar sauce – to taste
- Butter – 2 tablespoons
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Parmesan cheese and olives – to taste
Cooking step by step:
- Rinse, dry, and cut the lettuce leaves into small pieces, put them in the refrigerator.
- Put one tablespoon of butter in a hot frying pan. After it has completely melted and begins to sizzle, throw a clove of garlic cut into plates.
- Cut the chicken breast into pieces about 1×3 cm. Put it in a frying pan with garlic and oil. Fry on high heat for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the heat.
- In the same pan, add another tablespoon of butter and the second clove of garlic. At this time, cut the bread into small cubes. Put it in a frying pan and fry until golden brown.
- Take out the lettuce leaves, put the fried chicken breast, and tomatoes.
- Season with Caesar sauce. Mix it up. Put the resulting crackers on top and grate the cheese.
What can I use instead of lettuce for the salad?
Frills salad is one of the varieties of leaf lettuce, bred by American breeders in the 20s of the last century. Today, farmers grow delicious greens in greenhouse conditions in almost all corners of the earth. The leaves are short and wavy. You can buy frills in pots, since the plant is very tender and quickly fades without additional feeding.
Greens are known for their bright taste and incredible crunch. Due to these two qualities, the frill is a popular ingredient in vitamin cocktails and fresh vegetable salads. Frills crunches well, so in most cases, they can replace lettuce.
Butter lettuce
Buttered lettuce is a type of salad crossed from Boston lettuce and Bibb lettuce. Appearance: round-shaped heads with sweet leaves and a mild taste. All varieties of this salad have smooth leaves, which are often sold with roots.
The roots help to preserve freshness. You can use this salad not only for banal salad preparation but also for other dishes. Lettuce with butter does not have an oily taste. It has a silky-soft texture. As for the taste: a hint of sweetness and a slight citrus tint prevails.
Is lettuce hard to digest?
Lettuce is a healing plant. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Regular eating increases the immune system, improves the functioning of the digestive organs, strengthens the nervous system, and helps to fight insomnia.
Heavy physical exertion, contributes to a faster recovery of the body. When fighting excess weight, lettuce must be included in the diet, because it improves lipid-fat metabolism and promotes weight loss. Lettuce is rich in micro-and macroelements necessary for the normal functioning of the stomach.
Lettuce contains BCAA amino acids — a complex of three essential amino acids leucine (0.079 g), isoleucine (0.084 g), and valine (0.070 g). With this plant, a person receives glycine (0.056 g), methionine (0.015 g), and arginine (0.07 g), from which the body produces keratin.
This substance increases human endurance and restores muscles faster after physical exertion, which is significant for athletes. In addition to minerals and amino acids, lettuce contains almost all the vitamins necessary for the body.
The juice of the plant helps with disorders of the digestive system, with diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, has a diuretic effect.
Final thoughts
There are many types of salad greens. Each species has several beneficial substances: vitamins and minerals. If you choose between lettuce and green lettuce leaves, you should give preference based on the taste qualities.
Also, pay attention to the density and crunch of salad leaves, it has great significance for some dishes.