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FTER A LONG WINTER REPLETE WITH HEAVY COMFORT FOOD, our palates yearn
for salads during the summer months. Lettuce, once synonymous with salad, seems to have lost its status as “king of the salad bowl” to the more trendy kale, due to widespread belief that kale is nutritionally superior. That belief is misguided. The truth is, several varieties of lettuce deliver an even greater nutritional wallop than kale. So why not turn over a new leaf and try one of the following bonafide superfood lettuces — your body and taste buds will thank you.
ROMAINE LETTUCE
Well-known as the key ingredient of a Caesar salad, this variety of lettuce is distinguished by an elongated head and long, green leaves that boast a crisp texture and refreshing taste. It also delivers an impressive 62.5 mg of bone and heart friendly Vitamin K per cup. In addition, romaine plays host to healthy doses of vitamins A and C, folate, manganese, chromium, potassium and fibre. Interestingly, romaine is one of the plant world’s richest sources of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin that is critical for preventing birth defects, infertility, depression and more. If that doesn’t impress you, consider this: when researchers at William Patterson University in New Jersey analyzed 47 types of produce for 17 vital nutrients, and then ranked them based on their “nutrition density scores,” romaine bested the much ballyhooed kale by several points. That doesn’t surprise Cordelia McFadyen, a holistic nutritionist with Synergy Health Centre. “I am a big fan of romaine,” she enthuses, “It is teeming with Vitamin K, a vitamin so many people don’t get enough of, and unlike kale, it is easily digestible and has almost universal appeal — it’s just so palatable!” Strong in texture and flavour, romaine pairs beautifully with bold ingredients such as anchovies, blue cheese, garlic and lemon.
RED OR GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
Green and red leaf lettuces have large, wavy leaves with scalloped edges that give them an undeniable aesthetic appeal. But these relatively common greens have a lot more going for them than good looks — they contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than any other variety of “true” lettuce. These mild-flavoured lettuces ranked even higher than romaine on WPU’s list of nutrient-dense greens. While both colours of leaf lettuce contain the cancer fighting carotenoids beta-carotene and lutein, red leaf lettuce also plays host to anthocyanin, a group of plant flavonoids that are veritable superheroes when it comes to promoting health. Current research suggests anthocyanin can help fight heart disease and cancer, protect vision and ward off Alzheimer’s disease. And, just like romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce houses significant amounts of Vitamins A, C and K, folate, and manganese. In fact, leaf lettuce’s bone friendly Vitamin K content is so impressive, a report from the Nurse’s Health Study suggests that women who eat a serving of leaf lettuce every day could cut the risk of hip fracture by 30 per cent, compared to those eating the green only once per week. It seems the lettuce ranks high with the general public too.
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