Do you follow a ketogenic diet? If so, you’re likely always looking for new and interesting foods to keep your diet exciting. You may have heard that romaine lettuce is keto-friendly, but is it really? Don’t fret, here we’ll explain why romaine lettuce is a great choice for people on a keto diet!
Romaine lettuce is a great vegetable to include on the keto diet. This green leafy ingredient is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber and other nutrients, which makes it a good choice for people who are following the keto lifestyle. You can also replace romaine lettuce with iceberg lettuce, arugula, spinach, or butter lettuce.
In this article we’ll discuss the nutritional value of romaine lettuce, as well as offer other keto-friendly alternatives. Let’s get started!
Contents
Is Romaine Lettuce Healthy?
Romaine lettuce is a great addition to any keto diet because it’s full of fiber and other essential vitamins. With around 4 grams of fiber per cup, romaine lettuce is a keto-friendly vegetable that also provides vitamin C, magnesium, folate, potassium, and phosphorous.
Romaine lettuce has plenty of other benefits as well-it helps with digestion, regulates weight loss, increases energy levels, reduces cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and even improves circulation by increasing the flow of oxygenated blood throughout the body.
The high amount of antioxidants lutein present in romaine lettuce can help protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration as well as cataracts. Romaine lettuce can even protect your skin from damaging ultraviolet rays by increasing the body’s natural SPF production.
Perfect for Keto
If you’re looking for keto-friendly foods, look no further than romaine lettuce! This leafy green is low in carbs and high in fiber, making it the perfect vegetable to include in your keto diet. It’s also a clean keto ingredient, meaning it doesn’t contain any unhealthy additives or preservatives.
Why You Should Buy Organic
Whether you’re keto or not, choosing organic romaine lettuce will provide more nutrients and fewer chemicals than non-organic varieties. To ensure that the romaine hasn’t been treated with pesticides, remember to buy organic romaine lettuce.
Different Parts of Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is available in three different parts: hearts, leaves, and filets. The difference between each is its texture, function, and taste.
- Romaine filets, or heads, include the whole crop. It can be green or red and sometimes have small yellow leaves at its tops.
- Romaine hearts are just the smaller, inner parts of the heads. Their flavor is slightly sweet with a good amount of moisture.
- Romaine leaves are small and crisp. This can include the crunchy spine of the leaf, or they can be cut in half to make it softer.
How To Store Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is a perishable vegetable, so it’s important to store it properly to prolong its shelf life. When you get home from the grocery store, rinse the romaine lettuce in cold water and dry it off. Then, place the romaine in a plastic bag in the fridge.
It will last for up to five days if stored this way.
Romaine Lettuce Nutritional Info
Romaine lettuce a leafy green vegetable that can be included in the keto diet. The nutritional contents of romaine lettuce are pretty standard across different brands and varieties.
Nutrition Facts (per 85 grams):
- Calories: 15
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Carbs: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
Whole Foods Market Organic Romaine Lettuce
Ingredients:
- Organic Romaine Lettuce
Earth Greens Organic Romaine Filet
Ingredients:
- Organic Romaine Lettuce
Marketside Leafy Romaine Salad
Ingredients:
- Romaine Lettuce
- Red Leaf Lettuce
Alternatives to Romaine Lettuce
Iceberg Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is a great alternative to romaine lettuce because it has a similar taste and texture. It’s also low in carbs and high in fiber, making it keto-friendly. A cup of iceberg lettuce contains 1 gram of net carbs and 1 gram of fiber.
Foxy Iceberg Lettuce
Ingredients:
- Iceberg Lettuce
Nutrition Facts (per 72 grams):
- Calories: 10
- Total Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 7 mg
- Carbs: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Protein: 1 g
Arugula
Arugula is another keto-friendly vegetable that you can use as a substitute for romaine lettuce. It’s high in antioxidants, nutrients, and vitamins, making it a healthy choice for people on any diet. A cup of arugula contains 2 grams of net carbs and 3 grams of fiber. It has a lighter, less crunchy texture than romaine lettuce.
Wegmans Baby Arugula
Ingredients:
- Arugula
Nutrition Facts (per 142 grams):
- Calories: 35
- Total Fat: 0.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Carbs: 5 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
Spinach
Spinach is another great alternative to romaine lettuce. It’s high in iron, magnesium, folate, and other essential vitamins and minerals. A cup of spinach contains 2 grams of net carbs and 3 grams of fiber. It’s also extremely versatile and can be used as a keto alternative to lettuce in salads and sandwiches.
Good & Gather Organic Baby Spinach
Ingredients:
- Organic Baby Spinach
Nutrition Facts (per 142 grams):
- Calories: 40
- Total Fat: 0.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Carbs: 5 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
Butter Lettuce
Butter lettuce is another keto-friendly vegetable that you can use as a substitute for romaine lettuce. It’s low in calories, carbs, and sodium. A cup of butter lettuce contains 1 gram of net carbs and 1 gram of fiber. Butter lettuce tastes similar to romaine lettuce with slightly softer leaves but can be used almost the same in most recipes.
Ingredients:
- Lettuce
Nutrition Facts (per 85 grams):
- Calories: 10
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbs: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
Final Thoughts
Romaine lettuce is a great vegetable to include in your keto diet. It’s low in carbs and high in fiber, making it a good choice for people who are following the keto lifestyle. If you’re concerned about which type of romaine lettuce to buy, know that organic varieties would be best since they’re not treated with pesticides or herbicides like conventional foods can be.
You may also want to explore other options such as iceberg lettuce (similar taste), arugula (slightly more bitter), spinach (stronger flavor), or butterhead lettuce (a bit sweeter).
Regardless of what kind you choose, this leafy green should make up an important part of any ketogenic meal plan!
Related Questions
Is romaine lettuce vegan?
Yes, romaine lettuce is a vegan-friendly food. It’s low in carbs and calories and contains no cholesterol or saturated fats. It’s also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, folate, potassium, and phosphorous.
Is romaine lettuce gluten-free?
Romaine lettuce is naturally gluten-free. Romaine lettuce is a leafy green vegetable that is low in carbs and high in fiber.
Is romaine lettuce Low FODMAP?
Some types of romaine lettuce are low in FODMAP because there are little to no FODMAPs in romaine lettuce. This is important to note for those with IBS or IBD following the Low FODMAP diet.