Wondering how much vitamin C is hiding in that bowl of iceberg lettuce? The Ice Vitamin C Calculator makes it easy. Enter your serving size in grams, ounces, cups, leaves, or even whole heads, and get an instant estimate of your vitamin C intake in milligrams and percent Daily Value. It’s built on USDA nutrient data, so your results are grounded in real food composition numbers.
Iceberg lettuce is famous for its crisp crunch and high water content, and while it’s not the most vitamin-C-rich green on the shelf, every little bit counts toward your daily target. This tool is handy for meal prep, weight-loss tracking, micronutrient logging, or just settling a quick nutrition argument. Pair it with other ingredient calculators to map out your full salad bowl — because a balanced diet is built one serving at a time.
⚙️ Enter Your Serving
📊 Your Result
How to Use This Calculator
Start by choosing the unit that matches how you're serving your lettuce:
- Grams — best if you weigh your food with a kitchen scale. A typical 100 g portion is about 1.5 cups of shredded lettuce.
- Ounces — handy when following recipes written in imperial units.
- Cups (shredded) — the most common home measurement. One packed cup of shredded iceberg weighs about 72 g.
- Medium leaves — good for sandwiches and wraps; we use an average of 25 g per leaf.
- Small head — for when you eat a whole one (though that's a lot of crunch!).
Enter your amount, hit Calculate, and you'll see vitamin C in milligrams, its percentage of the Daily Value, and a step-by-step breakdown of the math. Use the quick-preset buttons for common servings.
How the Calculation Works
This calculator uses USDA nutrient data for raw iceberg lettuce: 2.8 mg of vitamin C per 100 g. The formula is straightforward:
Vitamin C (mg) = serving grams × 2.8 ÷ 100
For example, one cup of shredded lettuce (72 g) works out to:
72 × 2.8 ÷ 100 = 2.02 mg of vitamin C.
The Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C is 90 mg for adults, based on the FDA's reference daily intake. So that cup provides 2.02 ÷ 90 × 100 = 2.2% of the DV. The underlying data is publicly available through the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, which also covers the science of vitamin C absorption and requirements.
Iceberg Lettuce and Vitamin C: What to Know
Iceberg lettuce gets a reputation as the "empty" green, but that's only half true. It's about 95% water, very low in calories and carbohydrates, and adds a satisfying crunch to meals. However, its vitamin C content is modest compared with darker leafy greens. A 100 g serving provides just 2.8 mg — about 3% of your daily need.
That doesn't mean iceberg is useless. Vitamin C is water-soluble and easily destroyed by heat, so fresh raw lettuce actually delivers its small amount of vitamin C intact. Plus, eating more vegetables of any color generally improves diet quality. If you want a serious vitamin C boost, pair iceberg with sliced citrus, strawberries, or bell peppers. For a quick comparison, try our orange vitamin C calculator to see how a single orange dwarfs a whole head of lettuce.
Tips for Accurate Tracking
Weigh your lettuce before adding dressing. Dressing can double the calories of a salad, but it doesn't add vitamin C.
- Use a digital scale for the most precise result, especially if you're tracking micronutrients carefully.
- Watch your cup technique. Loosely packed shredded lettuce weighs less than densely packed. Our 72 g per cup assumes a moderately packed cup.
- Don't forget the edible portion. Remove any wilted outer leaves before weighing — they may have lost moisture and nutrients.
- Combine sources. Because iceberg is low in vitamin C, track it as part of a broader produce intake rather than relying on it alone.
For other greens and fruits, check out the watermelon vitamin C calculator and kumquat vitamin C calculator to see how different foods stack up.
Vitamin C in Common Greens: Reference Table
The table below shows approximate vitamin C content per 100 g of raw foods, using USDA values. Percent DV is based on the 90 mg daily reference.
| Food | Vitamin C per 100 g | % DV per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iceberg lettuce | 2.8 mg | 3.1% |
| Romaine lettuce | 4.0 mg | 4.4% |
| Spinach (raw) | 28.1 mg | 31.2% |
| Kale (raw) | 93.4 mg | 103.8% |
| Broccoli (raw) | 89.2 mg | 99.1% |
| Orange (navel) | 53.2 mg | 59.1% |
Values for whole produce can vary with variety, growing conditions, and freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is iceberg lettuce a good source of vitamin C?
No. One cup of shredded iceberg supplies only about 2 mg of vitamin C, about 2% of the Daily Value. It's better described as a low-calorie, hydrating vegetable rather than a vitamin C powerhouse.
Does cooking affect the vitamin C in lettuce?
Iceberg lettuce is almost always eaten raw, so there's no cooking loss. If you sauté or wilt greens, vitamin C can drop significantly because it's heat-sensitive and water-soluble. For maximum C, eat raw or add greens at the end of cooking.
What is the Daily Value for vitamin C?
The FDA sets the Daily Value at 90 mg for adults, but individual needs vary. Smokers are advised to consume an additional 35 mg per day because smoking increases oxidative stress and metabolic turnover of vitamin C.
Can I use this calculator for other lettuces?
The values here are specific to iceberg lettuce. Romaine has about 4 mg per 100 g, and darker greens are much higher. If you're mixing greens, calculate each ingredient separately using the appropriate tool, then add the amounts together.