Leaf or Iceberg Lettuce . . . do you know which type of lettuce costs more?
Have you ever tried to calculate the best price for lettuce? Do you know which type of lettuce is the most nutritious? We answer all of these questions in this blog.
There are several ways to save money when buying lettuce. We outline a couple of our tricks on this page.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1 Finding the Best Deal on Lettuce is More Complex Than You Might Think!
- 2 In this blog post, we ask the question, “How much does a head of lettuce cost?”
- 3 How much does that head of leaf lettuce weigh?
- 4 Leaf Lettuce Weight and Cost
- 5 Iceberg Lettuce Weight and Cost
- 6 A video about the differences in the cost of head lettuce
- 7 Making the Best Choice between Iceberg and Leaf Lettuce
Finding the Best Deal on Lettuce is More Complex Than You Might Think!
Calculating the best price on lettuce is more than simply looking at the sale flyer. To determine the best deal we consider the price per head, weight per head and we also throw in the nutritional value.
So you see, it’s not just a simple matter of economics . . . or is it?
Did you know that one of them costs about 60% less than the other?
In our book, Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half, we chronicled Steve’s test of weighing more than 200 pounds of produce to determine if bulk packed or loose produce was a better deal.
We discovered savings as high as 54 percent!
In this blog post, we ask the question, “How much does a head of lettuce cost?”
And how can you get the most for your lettuce dollars?
The other day, we were buying some produce and Steve decided to compare leaf lettuce ($.89 per head) versus iceberg/head lettuce ($.99 per head).
Lettuce prices fluctuate widely depending on the time of year.
We’ve seen prices as high as $2 per head and as low as $.50 per head.
And there are many varieties of lettuce: Iceberg, Romain, Boston, Bibb, Butterhead, Red Leaf, Green Leaf, and they all vary in price also. We usually look for the greenest and least expensive lettuce, but there is one more factor to consider . . . the weight of each head.
How much does that head of leaf lettuce weigh?
We know that leaf lettuce contains more nutrients and has higher iron content (because of it’s greener color), but what we hoped to discover was the actual cost per pound for each. It was an amazing discovery.
Leaf Lettuce Weight and Cost
Steve weighed several heads of leaf lettuce and discovered that the average weight was 16.75 ounces per head (just a touch over one pound each). At 89¢ per head, the actual cost per pound was $.848.
Iceberg Lettuce Weight and Cost
He was amazed at the difference when he weighed the round heads of iceberg lettuce. Each head weighed nearly two pounds but only cost 11 percent more.
The average weight was 30.75 ounces. At 99¢ per head, the actual cost per pound was only 51.5¢. Pound for pound, iceberg head lettuce is a whopping 60% less than the cost of leaf lettuce.
A video about the differences in the cost of head lettuce
Watch as Steve weighs several heads of lettuce and calculated the cost per pound – he saved 50% on the cost of a head of lettuce.
Making the Best Choice between Iceberg and Leaf Lettuce
Our decision on that day was to buy a couple of heads of the more expensive and nutritionally superior leaf lettuce and supplement with a couple of heads of the less expensive iceberg lettuce.
Get More Information about saving on Lettuce prices
If you want to learn more about the nutritional differences between leaf lettuce and head lettuce, check out these links.
- http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/1203/landscaping.html
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/293390-vitamins-in-iceberg-lettuce/
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/271057-red-leaf-lettuce-nutrition-information/
- http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/leafy-greens-rated
How do you use your head when it comes to lettuce? What would you have done?
For more great ideas on grocery Savings, consider our second book, Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half!
