Nutritional Value of Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce is one of the darker green lettuces, and it contains more nutrients than iceberg lettuce. Romaine lettuce is often used in salads, especially the Caesar salad. A 1-cup serving size of romaine lettuce contains 8 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database.

Fat and Cholesterol

• One cup of shredded romaine lettuce contains less than 1 gram of fat and no cholesterol; both of these values are negligible related to the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of both.

Minerals

• A serving of romaine lettuce contains 16 mg of calcium (2 percent of RDA), 7 mg of magnesium (2 percent), 14 mg of phosphorus (1 percent) and 0.46 mg of iron (3 percent).

Total Carbohydrates

• A cup of romaine contains approximately 1.5 grams of carbohydrate, which is divided into 1 gram of dietary fiber (4 percent of RDA) and 0.5 grams of sugar.

Protein

• A serving of romaine lettuce contains 0.58 g of protein; this is approximately 1 percent of the recommended daily allowance of protein.

Vitamins

• Romaine lettuce contains significant amounts of vitamin C (11.3 mg, or approximately 20 percent of RDA), vitamin A (4,094 IU, or 29 percent of RDA), vitamin K (48.2 mcg, or 71 percent of RDA) and folate (64 mcg, or approximately 20 percent of RDA).