What Is Lettuce Good for?

The majority of lettuce produced in the U.S. comes from California where the land is fertile and the growing season lasts year round. Lettuce is full of vitamins A, C and K and nutrients such as potassium and fiber. Because of its subtle taste, health benefits, abundance and cost, lettuce is a staple of the American diet.

Salads

• No salad is complete without lettuce.

  Lettuce is great for making salads. The diverse varieties of lettuce, such as romaine, red-leaf and green-leaf, allow you to harness taste and texture to create the perfect salad. Salads are so common you can buy salads at fast food joints, fine dining restaurants or make your own salad with lettuce and other vegetables from the grocery store.

Sandwiches

• Lettuce is popular on cheeseburgers.

  Many people put lettuce on their hamburgers and sandwiches. Any kind of club sandwich, such as a turkey club or chicken club, will come with lettuce on it. A BLT requires lettuce in addition to bacon and tomato. Lettuce is also popular on sandwiches for its crunchiness, which usually contrasts with the softness of sandwiches.

Remedy

• Lettuce is often a part of diets that target obesity.

  Lettuce is a useful resource in treating various ailments. It helps alleviate ailments such as acid indigestion, anemia, arthritis, constipation and ulcers. It also helps insomnia because it contains lectucarium, a substance that helps induce sleep. Many diabetics make frequent use of lettuce in their diets because it contains very few carbohydrates and no sugars, allowing them to eat lettuce in any amount they wish.

Animals

• Lettuce is a good food to feed animals. Many farm animals can make use of lettuce in their diets. Sheep, cows and donkeys can all sustain on diets of lettuce. Farmers will not give them a diet primarily of lettuce, but in tandem with grass, lettuce can improve the overall health of livestock. Birds can also eat lettuce. Pet owners who have birds will often feed them a little bit of lettuce in addition to nuts and seeds to improve the birds' health.