Maligned iceberg lettuce gets some nutritious bulking up

By DEAN FOSDICK
The Associated Press
Published: September 17, 2008

NEW MARKET — You’d never know it by taking a head count at the supermarket, but iceberg lettuce is losing favor with consumers looking for more flavor and nutrition from their salad greens.

Iceberg has been contemptuously called the “polyester of all the lettuce types,” and critics claim it has about as much dietary value as sticking a blade of grass between your teeth.

“Iceberg is 95 to 96 percent water, although it brings a little fiber and folic acid to the table,” said David Still, a plant science professor at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. “Compared to others, though, its nutrient content is unbelievably low — about one-twentieth the amount of vitamins as the darker leafy greens.”

For the past half-dozen years, Still has been trying to develop an iceberg variety that is easier to grow, has a longer shelf life after harvest and packs more nutritional value.

So far he has managed to cross iceberg lettuce with some butter lettuces, boosting its levels of antioxidants and vitamins A, C, E and K.

“We don’t think it (hybridization) will change the iceberg’s taste that much but it is one of the things we’re watching,” Still said. “We’re aware that iceberg’s mild taste has been popular.”

It will be at least a couple of years before a more wholesome iceberg

variety is ready to market, he said.

So until the healthier varieties come along, here are some simple ways to give iceberg lettuce a nutritious lift:

• Mix it with greener greens that contain heavier concentrations of calcium, vitamins and proteins. Try spinach, arugula, chicory and endive.
• Wrap the outer leaves around slices of meat and cheese, making a carbohydrate-neutral substitute for sliced breads.
• Sweeten salads with fruits. Fresh strawberries and pineapple chunks are flavorful candidates in the summer.