The Nutritional Facts of Iceberg Lettuce

A century ago there was a very distinct reason why Iceberg lettuce was so popular. Consumers did not have much choice in the lettuces or other nutritious leafy vegetables available to them. Unless you grew your own vegetables, or lived close to a farm, your food choices were limited to those products which your local supermarket carried.

Without modern refrigeration methods, transportation of vegetables from the farm to the city was difficult, and only the hardiest of lettuce could be safely shipped. This hardy lettuce was Iceberg lettuce.

A century ago Iceberg lettuce was the lettuce of choice for shipping, because it could be packed in ice, and yet remain fresh and crisp until it arrived at it's destination. Produce was shipped to it's destination from California by train. Iceberg lettuce was able to travel from California, and onto grocery store shelves in great condition, while other lettuces and leafy vegetables would not have survived this method of shipping.

Iceberg lettuce also got it's name from the method by which it was shipped. This crispy pale colored lettuce was packed in ice for shipping, and thus wise, acquired the name Iceberg lettuce.

Iceberg lettuce is a green leafy vegetable which has zero fat, zero cholesterol, and only 15 calories per serving.

Per average serving Iceberg lettuce contains two percent of our daily Iron requirement, six percent of our vitamin C requirement, four percent of our daily requirement of vitamin A, two percent of our daily calcium requirement, and one gram of protein.

So why the big switch away from Iceberg lettuce?

People are switching their lettuce choices because other dark green leafy vegetables have more vitamins and minerals per serving than Iceberg lettuce has to offer. Now that consumers have a choice they are choosing nutrition over texture, and purchasing more Spinach, Chard, Romaine lettuce, as well as other dark red leaf and green leaf vegetables, in place of Iceberg lettuce.

Iceberg lettuce does also have it's own special attributes when it comes to lettuces though and it is the crisp snap when you bite into Iceberg lettuce which just cannot be replicated by other leafy vegetables. In giving up Iceberg lettuce consumers are also giving up the wonderful crisp snappy texture experience which only Iceberg lettuce seems capable of offering.

Despite the fact that obesity rates are at an all time high, society as a whole is taking a strange new healthier view on the foods that they consume, and making healthier food choices to offset their not so healthy food choices.

So does it make sense that people are switching from Iceberg lettuce to more nutritious leafy vegetables when they are still chowing down on greasy fast food take-out? Apparently it does. There is the added benefit of knowing that by choosing highly nutritious ingredients in your salads you can feel a little less guilty about consuming your other not so healthy foods. Consumers are more than happy to add a few more health benefits in one area of their diet to be able to relax a little in another.

Fortunately salads are never made from just one vegetable, and adding Iceberg lettuce into the mix, will give a crisp texture to your salad that only Iceberg lettuce can give it.

Eggs have been eaten by man since the dawn of time. Cavemen stole them from dinosaur nests to greedily devour them raw, and while we have become a little more discriminating in our use of them, they are still one of our most basic and widely consumed foods.

Eggs are an almost complete food in and of themselves....The nutritional value of hard boiled eggs.

If you are looking for the best apple that can be found, well which apple you choose will be based entirely on your tastes, and on the purpose for which you desire that apple.

Virtually all of the 7500 varieties of fruit apples, have a very similar nutritional content, and this varies only slightly depending on the type or size of apple that you choose to consume....The Best Apple.

There is a new method of dieting out there that is getting the attention of a lot of interested people. It is known as "Cycling calories" and no, this is not a term that implies to hopping on a bicycle and pedaling away those extra pounds.

This is actually one of the latest new concepts in dieting and it is proving itself to be a very reliable and viable diet plan.....Calorie Shifting Diet?

Losing weight can be tough. Insure that you do not make losing those extra pounds any more traumatic then it has to be.

There are a few simple tips that will make your weight loss plan just a wee bit easier to follow. Knowing these weight loss facts will also help to increase the odds of your being successful with your diet plan....Weight Loss: Facts and Figures.

When you participate in pleasurable activities like smiling, laughing, exercising or playing, your brain does an amazing thing and releases a little chemical message known as an endorphin.

These endorphins are feel good messages that have the power to actually remove physical and emotional pain. They travel down the spine, and then throughout your body, sending a feeling of well being as they go. These endorphins not only have the ability to relieve pain but they also have the power to make you feel happy. So remember to take time to play - It really is important.