DF: What's the Difference Between Arugula and Romaine?

It was one of those "son" days for mom today. Son Steven stopped by for lunch and to finish up some work he was doing. I loved it. Thanks for the visit, son.

I was making him a sandwich when he said to skip the lettuce. Hmmm, I thought.
Skip the best part of the sandwich? I went ahead and added just a few pieces of Arugula because it was the perfect accompaniment for this triple decker ham, salami and turkey sandwich. He took a bite and agreed. I knew he'd like it.

Arugula

Arugula is an aromatic salad green and great for sandwiches. It is a little tart and tangy. The flavor is peppery kinda like a gentle horseradish.

I think that because iceberg lettuce doesn’t contain much in the way of nutrients, a lot of people assume that the same is true of all lettuce. Not true.

Arugula is a nutritional powerhouse, containing significant folic acid and calcium. It's very low in calories and high in vitamins A and C. Just a 1/2 cup serving is only two calories. I didn't even put that much on his sandwich.

Romaine

I could have used Romaine for his sandwich. Romaine is fantastic for salads and sandwiches, too. Romaine lettuce adds crunch for a nice texture and also a tremendous amount of nutritional value.

Romaine is a soldier in the Cholesterol war. That's important to me and my honey. I take medicine to help control my levels of cholesterol as well as medicine for high blood pressure.

Romaine's vitamin C and beta-carotene content make it a heart-healthy green. Here's why Romaine is on our grocery list every week.

Vitamin C and beta-carotene work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. According to leading nutritionists… when cholesterol becomes oxidized, it builds up in the artery walls forming plaque. If these plaques become too large, they block blood flow causing a clot that triggers a heart attack or stroke. That's scary, isn't it? Luckily, the benefits of eating Romaine lettuce range from boosting your immune system to lowering your blood pressure to increasing weight loss. It's a superfood.

Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, and vitamin C. In addition, romaine lettuce is a very good source of dietary fiber, molybdenum, manganese, potassium, and iron. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and copper.