Is Lettuce A Vegetable Or Fruit

by John Staughton (BASc, BFA) last updated -

Many people ask the question – is lettuce a vegetable? – and fortunately, there is a very simple answer to this question.

Is Lettuce a Vegetable or Fruit?

Lettuce is a vegetable because it is an edible plant part, and does not develop from an ovary, which is the technical definition of a fruit. Every vegetable comes from the root, stem, bulb, leaves, tubers, and flowers of a plant. Given lettuce’s leafy nature, it is quite easily classified as a vegetable. [1]

Lettuce doesn’t come in only one form, however, so some people wonder if romaine lettuce is a vegetable as well. Similarly, since it is a leafy part of the plant, it is considered a vegetable. Considering its status as a vegetable, one could expect it to deliver some health benefits, and it certainly does.

Close-up of fresh green lettuce leaves on a wooden table

Fresh lettuce for your salads Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Studies have shown that consuming lettuce is an excellent way to aid weight loss efforts, and it can also reduce inflammation and blood pressure levels. Lettuce also contains a high level of water, so it can help to rehydrate the body and improve the efficiency of many different bodily processes. [2]

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About the Author

John Staughton is a traveling writer, editor, publisher and photographer with English and Integrative Biology degrees from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana (USA). He co-founded the literary journal, Sheriff Nottingham, and now serves as the Content Director for Stain’d Arts, a non-profit based in Denver, Colorado. On a perpetual journey towards the idea of home, he uses words to educate, inspire, uplift and evolve.

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