Butterhead Lettuce vs. Romaine Lettuce

Nutrition comparison of Butterhead 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 butterhead lettuce versus romaine lettuce (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce:

  • Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K and potassium.
  • Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Butterhead Lettuce src
Image of Romaine Lettuce src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, butterhead lettuce is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to romaine lettuce for fat. Butterhead lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 33:54:13 and for romaine lettuce, 24:63:13 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Butterhead Lettuce Romaine Lettuce
Protein 33% 24%
Carbohydrates 54% 63%
Fat 13% 13%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are low in carbohydrates - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 54% dietary fiber and 46% sugar, whereas the carbs in romaine lettuce comprise of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar.

dietary fiber

Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 91% more dietary fiber than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - butterhead lettuce has 0.94g of sugar per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are low in saturated fat - butterhead lettuce has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - butterhead lettuce has 3.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin A. Romaine lettuce has 163% more Vitamin A than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 166ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - butterhead lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin K. Butterhead lettuce is very similar to butterhead lettuce for Vitamin K - butterhead lettuce has 102.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Butterhead Lettuce Romaine Lettuce
Thiamin 0.057 MG 0.072 MG
Riboflavin 0.062 MG 0.067 MG
Niacin 0.357 MG 0.313 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.15 MG 0.142 MG
Vitamin B6 0.082 MG 0.074 MG
Folate 73 UG 136 UG

Minerals

calcium

Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of calcium - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium.

iron

Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of iron - butterhead lettuce has 1.2mg of iron per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron.

potassium

Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are high in potassium. Butterhead lettuce is very similar to butterhead lettuce for potassium - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 247mg 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 butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of quercetin.

Butterhead Lettuce Romaine Lettuce
kaempferol 0.02 mg 0.02 mg
Quercetin 2.73 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 butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.

Butterhead Lettuce Romaine Lettuce
beta-carotene 1987 UG 5226 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 1223 UG 2312 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Butterhead Lettuce Romaine Lettuce
alpha linoleic acid 0.083 G 0.113 G
Total 0.083 G 0.113 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Butterhead Lettuce Romaine Lettuce
linoleic acid 0.034 G 0.047 G
Total 0.034 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: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .

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FAQ

Does butterhead lettuce or romaine lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?
Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories in 100g and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.

Is butterhead lettuce or romaine lettuce better for protein?
Butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein.

Does butterhead lettuce or romaine lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are low in carbohydrates - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of carbs for 100g and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in romaine lettuce comprise of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar.

Does butterhead lettuce or romaine lettuce contain more potassium?
Both butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce are high in potassium. Butterhead lettuce is very similar to butterhead lettuce for potassium - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium in 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium.