The leaves will keep up to ten days when wrapped in paper towels and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is important to store the lettuce away from fruits such as bananas, apples, and pears as they release a natural gas which causes the lettuce to wilt.

Leaf lettuce is best suited for fresh applications and is most commonly used as a wrap, garnish, in salads, or as a layer in a sandwich. The leaves can be torn or sliced and used as a crunchy element in a salad, layered in burgers or sandwiches such as a French dip and croque-monsieur, or used as a bed for meatloaf, chicken salad, stir-fries, and slow braised meats and grilled fish. Leaf lettuce can also be used to wrap summer rolls, tabbouleh, and mushroom burgers or used for tacos. Leaf lettuce pairs well with bulgur wheat, red peppers, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, garlic, capers, shallots, ginger, poultry, fish, herbs such as cilantro, mint, coriander, turmeric, and pineapple.

Leaf lettuce contains vitamins A, C, K, and folate.