23 Types of Salad Leaves Every Dieter Should Know ...

You have no reason to eat a boring salad. There are so many amazing salad leaves that act as a base upon which to build a delicious salad. And they’re great to mix up. You can choose soft or crispy, peppery or sweet, grassy or bitter. And you’re getting lots of nutrients as well as knowing that salad leaves are low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol. With so many salad leaves to choose from there’s no need to always reach for the iceberg.

1 Arugula

Also called rocket, Arugula is a dark green leaf with a bitter and peppery taste.

Main Nutrients: Thiamin, protein, zinc, vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Iron, potassium, dietary fiber, and

2 Butterhead

Butterhead is a pale wrinkled leaf with a rather smooth buttery texture. Its taste is mild and sweet.

Main Nutrients: Riboflavin, thiamin, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, manganese, and vitamins K, C, A, and B6

3 Cabbage

Cabbage leaves are red or green and quite crisp and crunchy in structure. The taste is sharp and bitter.

Main Nutrients: Calcium, thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamins K, C, and B6

4 Chard

Also known as Swiss chard, it is a large wrinkled leaf deep green in color with a taste quite similar to beets.

Main Nutrients: Folate, thiamin, zinc, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium, and vitamins B6, K, E, C, and A.

5 Dandelion Greens

Dandelion greens are tender leaves with jagged edges and a bitter taste.

Main Nutrients: Phosphorous, magnesium, folate, copper, dietary fiber, iron, calcium, and vitamins K, B6, C, and A

6 Endive

Also known as chicory, endive is a smooth and tender leaf with a bitter taste. It is surprisingly good when grilled.

Main Nutrients: Phosphorous, magnesium, riboflavin, zinc, potassium, and vitamins E, B5, K, C, and A

7 Escarole

Escarole leaves are quite wide and frilly in structure with a taste mild enough to add texture to dishes.

Main Nutrients: Phosphorus, folate, potassium, niacin, manganese, copper, and vitamins B6, A, B12, and C

8 Frisée

Frisée is a long, curly, spiky firm textured leaf in green with red edges. It has slightly nutty or peppery taste.

Main Nutrients: Folic acid, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and K

9 Kale

Kale leaves are broad and ruffled in varieties of bluish purple to deep green with a very mild taste.

Main Nutrients: Protein, dietary fiber, magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorous, calcium, copper, potassium, and vitamins B6, K, C, and a

10 Iceberg

Iceberg is a pale-green, tender, tightly packaged leaf with a mild taste and very crunchy texture.

Main Nutrients: Thiamin, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, folate, and vitamins B6, K, C, and A

11 Loose Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce is either in dark green or red-tipped color with a tender texture and mild but refreshing taste.

Main Nutrients: Magnesium, calcium, dietary fiber, selenium, riboflavin, folate, potassium, iron, manganese, and vitamins B6, K, C, and A

12 Mesclun

Mesclun is a salad mix of assorted small, young salad green leaves that originated in Provence, France. The traditional mix usually includes chervil, arugula, leafy lettuces and endive.

Main Nutrients: Manganese, dietary fiber, folic acid, and vitamins A, C, and K

13 Radicchio

Radicchio is a leaf with striking white and red (or pink) pattern with a slightly bitter and peppery flavor.

Main Nutrients: Copper, potassium, folate, zinc, magnesium, dietary fiber, and vitamins E, K, B6, and C

14 Watercress

Watercress leaves are small and dark-green color with a distinctive raw taste, both peppery and pungent.

Main Nutrients: Copper, folate, protein, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins B5, B6, K, E, C, and A

15 Lollo Rosso Lettuce

Lollo Rosso has crinkled and fringed leaves with a deep red tinge and crispy texture.

Main Nutrients: Quercetin, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, iron, vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin A

16 Red Oak Leaf Lettuce

Oak leaf is deep-green in color with a red tinge.

Main Nutrients: Magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, and calcium

17 Lollo Verde

It is a frilly leafed lettuce in a light green color and a mild flavor.

Main Nutrients: Vitamin A, fiber, riboflavin, iron, and calcium

18 Mizuna

Mizuna leaves are dark green in color with a mild yet exotic mustard-like flavor.

Main Nutrients: Vitamin C, glucosinolates

19 Romaine

Romaine leaves are long, green in color, with a crunchy center vein and a slightly bitter taste.

Main Nutrients: Riboflavin, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, dietary fiber, and vitamin B6, A, K, and C

20 Spinach

Spinach leaves are tender and dark green in color with wrinkled or smooth texture. The taste is slightly bitter but refreshing.

Main Nutrients: Riboflavin, zinc, niacin, fiber, phosphorus, protein, calcium, folate, and vitamins K, E, B6, C, and A

21 Tatsoi

Tatsoi’s spoon-shaped leaves are lustrous in dark green color with a delicate mustard taste and juicy stalk.

Main Nutrients: Protein, fiber, iron, calcium, zinc, potassium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D,

22 Mâche

Also known’s as lamb’s lettuce and one of my very favorite salad leaves, mâche is delicate in texture and taste.

Main nutrients: Vitamins C, A and B6, iron, potassium, calcium and copper.

23 Garden Cress

Tiny leaves that shouldn’t just be used for egg sandwiches or garnish. Cress has a tangy, peppery flavor.

Main nutrients: Fiber, vitamins K, E A and C, folate and manganese.

And here’s a bonus leaf for you. Celery itself if not a leaf, but the leaves from a head of celery are a great addition to a salad.