Cabbage and lettuce both are leafy vegetables consisting of several vitamins and minerals. These vegetables are often confused with being the same as they look quite similar to one another.
We have often seen cabbage and lettuce being used in different types of food and cuisines. They both are considered to be healthy and have several health benefits.
Cabbage vs Lettuce
The difference between cabbage and lettuce is that cabbage is a part of the Brassica oleracea plant family whereas, lettuce is a part of the Asteraceae plant family. Cabbages have more health benefits than lettuce as it has high nutritional content than lettuce. 100 grams of cabbage has about 25 calories, whereas 100 grams of lettuce has 14 calories. Hence one may consider lettuce to be a healthier option, but it lacks in dietary fibers when compared to cabbage.
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Cabbage is a leafy plant that is green, red, or white in color. The head or the bud is an edible part of the cabbage plant. It is descended from the wild cabbage and belongs to the brassicas plant family.
Cabbage is closely related to cauliflower and broccoli as all these plants are part of the wild cabbage family.
Lettuce is a plant with edible green leaves. Lettuce is a very common ingredient in salads, wraps, burgers, soups, etc. Fresh lettuce leaves are crunchy and moist. Many health-conscious people add lettuce to their meal as it is low on calories and is quite filling.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Cabbage | Lettuce |
|---|---|---|
| Origins | It is the origin of the Brassica oleracea plant family. | It is the origin of the Asteraceae plant family. |
| Calories | It has 25 calories per 100 grams. | It has 14 calories per 100 grams. |
| Vitamins | It is rich in vitamin C and vitamin K. | It is high in beta corotena which later for,s vitamin A. |
| Nutritive Content | It is high in nutritive content compared to lettuce. | It is less in nutritive content compared to cabbage. |
| Fiber | It is high in fiber compared to lettuce. | It is less in fiber compared to cabbage. |
What is Cabbage?
Cabbage is a plant popular for its edible leafy head. It has chewy, rubbery thick leaves. Its organic components make it a little bitter and peppery when eaten raw. However, it easily gets combined with spices and gets neutralized when it is cooked, losing its bitter taste.
There are almost four hundred types of cabbages among them. Four are common ones. They are green cabbage, red or purple cabbage, savoy cabbage, napa cabbage.
The green cabbage is a very common type of cabbage that we all are very familiar with. Green cabbage is often fried or sautéed to make various types of dishes.
Purple or red cabbage is very popularly used to bring color to food. They are also steamed and used to make dumplings. Cabbage consists of many important vitamins such as vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A. It also is loathed with several minerals like calcium, potassium, manganese, etc.
The high amount of vitamin C in cabbage helps the body in various ways. Cabbage is also helpful in improving digestion as it is high in fiber. Overall, cabbage is as good as other leafy vegetables but should be consumed in a balanced manner.
What is Lettuce?
Lettuce has now become one of the world’s popular vegetables as it adds a crunch to salads and acts as a good base for wraps. It is also available in dark green, red and purplish colors.
It is a leafy vegetable with a good crunchy and watery taste. It is a little thinner and less chewy compared to cabbage.
It is a rich source of vitamin A, and vitamin K. Lettuce is low in fiber and calories compared to cabbage. There are mainly two types of lettuce the butterhead lettuce and crisphead lettuce.
As the name suggests, butterhead lettuce is soft and smooth textured, whereas the crisphead ones are hard and crunchy.
Lettuce grows in warm weather and requires an abundant amount of water to grow. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia. Lettuce wraps are very popular dishes in Laos and Thailand. However, they were originally introduced in China.
Romaine and iceberg lettuce are very famous in the US. They are used in Caesar salad and are considered as the best types around the world.
Main Differences Between Lettuce and Cabbage
- Lettuce and cabbage are originated from different plant species. Both of their leaves may look very similar. They can be easily differentiated with their texture and tastes.
- Lettuce is moister, crunchier, and easily chewable compared to cabbage. Lettuce is more textured when compared to cabbages.
- Cabbage is fried and sautéed along with spices and other vegetables so as to make them softer and tastier whereas lettuce is mostly used in wraps and burgers.
- Lettuce contains fewer calories than cabbage. But cabbage is richer in vitamins, minerals, and fiber compared to lettuce.
- Cabbage is grown in cooler weather with irrigation throughout the growing period. Lettuce is grown in warm weather and requires a lot of watering.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814604000366
- https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/53/10/831/165437
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-30443-4_3
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
