A head of lettuce typically weighs 0.7–1.7 lb (320–755 g), depending on type and size.
Shopping for a recipe and trying to match “1 head” to a scale number can be tricky. Growers, stores, and cookbooks use the word “head,” but the mass shifts a lot between crisp iceberg, tall romaine, ruffly green leaf, and compact butter types. This guide gives practical ranges, quick conversions, and simple ways to measure so you buy the right amount and avoid waste.
Average Head Of Lettuce Weight By Type
The figures below reflect common retail sizes pulled from widely used nutrition databases and commodity references. Expect natural variation from harvest, variety, and trimming.
| Type | Common Retail Size | Typical Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Iceberg (Crisphead) | Small / Medium / Large | 324 g (11.4 oz) / 539 g (19.0 oz) / 755 g (26.6 oz) |
| Romaine (Cos) | Whole head | 626 g (22.1 oz) |
| Green Leaf | Whole head | 360 g (12.7 oz) |
| Butter/Boston/Bibb | Approx. 5″ head | 163 g (5.7 oz) |
Why The Numbers Vary So Much
“Head” is a shape, not a fixed unit. Iceberg is compact and dense, so a compact ball can still be heavy. Romaine stands tall with long ribs; the mass concentrates in thick midribs and the tight core. Green leaf spreads with air between frills, which drops the mass even when the head looks generous. Butter types are tender and petite, ideal for cups and wraps, but lighter overall.
Trimming changes the mass too. Remove wilted wrapper leaves, and the scale reading drops. Stores also sell romaine hearts, which are the inner leaves trimmed short. Those are lighter than full romaine heads, even though they feel firm in the hand.
How Stores And Recipes Use “Head”
Retail Labels
Most U.S. groceries sell iceberg and green leaf by the piece, romaine by the head or as bagged hearts, and butter lettuce in clamshells. That means the shelf price doesn’t always reveal mass. A scale in the produce aisle helps, and so does a mental range (e.g., a medium iceberg ball near 540 g).
Recipe Writers
Cookbooks and blogs often say “1 head, shredded” or “4 cups chopped.” When a cup weight is known, you can back into the mass. For instance, shredded iceberg runs around 72 g per cup, while shredded romaine sits near 47 g per cup. Those cup weights convert quickly to portions for tacos, salads, and slaws.
Quick Conversions: From A Head To Cups
Use these cup weights to scale recipes without guesswork. The “cups from a typical head” column uses the head sizes listed earlier.
| Type | Weight Per Cup (g) | Cups From A Typical Head |
|---|---|---|
| Iceberg (medium head 539 g) | 72 g per cup (shredded) | ~7.5 cups |
| Romaine (head 626 g) | 47 g per cup (shredded) | ~13 cups |
| Green Leaf (head 360 g) | 36 g per cup (shredded) | ~10 cups |
| Butter/Boston/Bibb (head 163 g) | ~55 g per cup (2 cups ≈ 110 g) | ~3 cups |
Fast Estimation Tricks In The Produce Aisle
No Scale Nearby?
- Iceberg: A baseball-size ball skews light (small), a grapefruit-size ball lands near medium, and a small melon-size ball trends large.
- Romaine: A sturdy, loaf-shaped bunch with tight center ribs is usually in the 600 g zone. Hearts are shorter and lighter than full heads.
- Green Leaf: Big, fanned leaves look voluminous but trap air; a full head still hovers near 360 g.
- Butter: Compact and delicate, often in clamshells; one head is close to 160 g.
Buying Tips To Hit Your Target
Match Type To Task
Building burgers or wedge salads? Choose iceberg and plan roughly half a kilogram per head for slicing and shredding. Caesar night? One full romaine head feeds four as a side or two as a main if you add protein. Need tender leaves for wraps or garnish? Butter types shine and portion neatly by head.
Plan For Trimming And Core
Outer leaves protect the plant. Peel off anything limp or rusty and weigh again if you can. The core is edible but often discarded; plan 5–10% loss on iceberg and romaine when you remove the base and blemishes.
Use Official Cup Weights For Precision
When a recipe calls for cups, lean on established cup weights. The FDA raw vegetables table and USDA-based databases list reliable cup measures for shredded greens. Link those to the head sizes above to estimate servings with confidence.
Storage, Shelf Life, And Waste Control
How Long It Keeps
Most lettuce holds up for a few days under refrigeration. Iceberg lasts the longest because of its dense layers, while butter types bruise and wilt faster. Keep heads in the crisper drawer, unwashed and loosely wrapped to limit moisture build-up.
Before You Store
- Remove only the worst outer leaves in the store; leave the rest on until prep day to prevent dehydration.
- At home, wash in cold water, spin dry, and stage in a vented container lined with a dry towel.
- Keep cut lettuce cold and dry; moisture drives spoilage.
What To Expect After Trimming
After removing outer leaves, the core, and any bruised areas, edible mass drops slightly. Plan your purchase with a small buffer when recipes are strict on volume.
How To Weigh And Portion At Home
With A Kitchen Scale
- Set a large bowl on the scale and zero it.
- Shred or chop to recipe size; place in the bowl until you hit the target grams.
- Translate to cups only if needed; cup packing varies with shred size.
Without A Scale
- Use the cup weights in the table above.
- Pack cups lightly for shredded iceberg and romaine; don’t mash.
- Taste and sight-check: leafy mixes look fuller than their mass suggests.
Practical Examples For Common Dishes
Taco Night
A medium iceberg ball (~539 g) yields around 7–8 cups shredded. That covers 12–16 tacos with a generous sprinkle.
Big Salad For A Group
One full romaine head (~626 g) makes roughly 13 cups shredded. Toss with dressing, croutons, and cheese to serve four generous mains or six sides.
Lettuce Wraps
Plan one butter head per two people when the leaves are the “tortilla.” For appetizer bites, one head serves three to four.
Choosing The Best Head For Your Goal
Texture And Bite
Iceberg crunches and holds dressing well, making it ideal for chopped salads and sandwiches. Romaine gives snap from the rib and a mild, fresh flavor. Green leaf brings soft ruffles that boost volume with gentle chew. Butter leaves are tender and pliable, perfect for cups and wraps.
Nutrition Snapshot
Leafy greens deliver hydration and micronutrients with few calories. For authoritative numbers by type and serving, see USDA FoodData Central, which underpins the commonly used cup and head weights.
Heads, Hearts, And Bagged Mixes
Whole Heads
Best value when you need flexibility in cut size. Expect the ranges in the first table.
Hearts
Often sold as three-packs. These are the trimmed inner leaves, so mass per unit is lower than a full head but the edible percentage is high. Great for romaine Caesar or grilling.
Bagged Or Boxed Greens
Convenient and pre-washed. Labels list ounces; convert with 28.35 g per ounce to match recipe needs. Mixes pack tighter than whole leaves, so cup volume can look small even when the mass is enough.
When You Need Exact Mass
Professional kitchens cost out recipes by grams because texture, shred size, and leaf moisture change volume. For home cooks, matching your recipe to the cup weights above bridges that gap. If a dish relies on crisp structure—wedge salads or lettuce cups—buy by the head and keep an extra ball or clamshell on hand so plating looks full.
Sources And Method Notes
The head and cup weights used here come from widely referenced databases built on USDA data and federal references. Iceberg head sizes at 324 g, 539 g, and 755 g; romaine at 626 g; green leaf at 360 g; and butter at 163 g line up with those datasets. Cup weights used are 72 g for shredded iceberg, 47 g for shredded romaine, 36 g for shredded green leaf, and ~55 g per cup inferred from a 2-cup, 110 g butter serving. These figures track with official reference tables and are suitable for menu planning and grocery runs.