Composition of miner's lettuce (Montia perfoliata)

Miner's lettuce, a wild, edible plant that grows prolifically in the western U.S., was analyzed for proximate composition, vitamins, minerals, and oxalic and phytic acids. In the raw state, it contained 20 kcal per 100 gm, and 33 per cent of the adult U.S. RDA for ascorbic acid, 22 per cent of the vitamin A allowance, and 10 per cent of the iron. Oxalic acid concentration was low. Nutrient density ratios, compared with 100 kcal of the U.S. RDAs, were greater than one for all constituents analyzed. In terms of nutrient content, miner's lettuce also compared favorably with twenty-one other green, leafy vegetables.