What Makes A Healthy Salad

It’s common believe that if it’s a salad it must be healthy, and if you choose salad over other food types you’re going to lose weight and not gain weight right, wrong. What are you saying a salad is not healthy? No, I’m saying depending on the type of salad you have you could be doing more harm to your waistline than good.

Here’s what Heather Bauer from U.S. News Health had to say about what makes a salad healthy or not…

Learn What Makes A Healthy Salad

How many times have you been in a restaurant with a friend and heard her say, “Oh, I’ll just have a salad,” with a satisfied look on her face? When looking for a healthy option, it’s not uncommon for people to immediately rely on salad as their go-to meal. Often associated with being low in calories and high in nutrients, salads seem to make sense. The truth is, sometimes opting for a salad can be one of your worst dieting downfalls. On the other hand, salads don’t have to equate to a wider waistline. Research shows people who eat salads are more likely to have higher levels of key nutrients that prevent cancer and heart disease, and may consume 12 percent less calories throughout the meal. It’s all about preparing them correctly and knowing what to add in and what to take out.

Below are my five top tips on how to slim down your salad, without sacrificing flavor or nutrition.

Throw Some Fat Into the Mix

Salads can fall on complete opposite ends of the spectrum if you’re not careful. Eating a bowl full of green leaves and raw veggies with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar is one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight. Sure, it’s low in calories, but in order for your body to effectively use the abundant nutrients in the vegetables, some type of fat needs to be added. Choose an unsaturated one, and remember, a little goes a long way. Your body only requires a small amount of fat in a meal to absorb the nutrients. Consider using two to three thin slices of avocado to not only add in heart-healthy fats, but also potassium, fiber, and vitamin E. At 50 calories, you can’t go wrong!

Remember, It’s a Salad, Not a Sandwich

Often, devoted salad eaters choose to add in items like bacon, chicken, or steak to make their salads more fulfilling. While it may do just that, it can potentially add too many calories. If you must, pick one meat or poultry option, but make sure to skip the cheese to avoid calorie overload. Another idea is to garnish your greens with two egg whites instead. This adds approximately 8 grams of protein for less than 50 calories. Or choose a legume, such as navy or kidney beans, to pack in protein as well as fiber. An optimal serving for navy beans is ¼ cup, which contains about 4 grams of both protein and fiber for 65 calories. Just because your sandwich comes with bread doesn’t mean your salad has to. Skip the breadsticks or pita typically offered on the side. They only add empty calories. Click here for the next three tips.

So there you have it, a few tips on how to make a salad healthy, just a few small wise changes made to your salad can make all the difference, and now you know how to without compromising the flavour or the fulfilling factor.

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