| At home many people avoid making salads | | | | least think about eating healthy and have |
| because the cutting up of vegetables takes | | | | been told that a salad is a much better |
| time and often storage of a half used | | | | choice than a burger. Naturally, then, our |
| cucumber or bag of carrots is inappropriate | | | | eyes go first to the salad selections on the |
| causing waste and unnecessary expense. To | | | | menu, which the marketers have promoted as |
| save time, why not just pick up prewashed, | | | | bursting with not only flavor but healthful |
| cut-up salads or salad green available | | | | ingredients. How bad could a salad be? |
| pre-packaged at most grocery stores. | | | | Actually pretty bad if you make the wrong |
| | | | choice. |
| When choosing salad greens remember that the | | | | |
| darker green the leaf, the more beta-carotene | | | | Take for instance the Arby's Chicken Club |
| (an antioxidant). Spinach contains the most | | | | Salad(R). This healthy-sounding selection |
| beta-carotene. For lettuce, try romaine, | | | | packs 530 calories and 33 grams of fat, and |
| which has the most vitamins and minerals of | | | | that is before you add the buttermilk ranch |
| all lettuces. Other options include Belgian | | | | dressing. That would bring the total to 860 |
| endive, butterhead lettuce, collard greens, | | | | calories and 67 grams of fat, 240 mg of |
| curly endive, escarole, kale, radicchio, red | | | | cholesterol, and 1,780 of sodium. For a |
| leaf lettuce and watercress. Lettuce also | | | | standardized 2,000 calorie/day diet, this |
| contains potassium, fiber, and vitamins C and | | | | would then represent 80% of the daily |
| A. The standard "iceberg" lettuce has the | | | | cholesterol maximum, and almost ¾ of your |
| least nutritional value (but it is not true | | | | sodium limit; and that is just in one salad! |
| that it has NO nutritional value, it does | | | | But I don't mean to pick on Arby's(R). At |
| contain folic acid, although the same amount | | | | McDonald's(R), the Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch |
| of romaine lettuce has twice the amount). | | | | Salad(R) with Newman's Own Ranch Dressing(R) |
| | | | has nearly twice the calories, more than |
| Add protein to your salad with a light | | | | three times the fat, and almost twice the |
| sprinkling of soy nuts, soy-bacon bits, or | | | | sodium of a McDonald's cheeseburger. Thanks |
| sunflower seeds. Top off the salad with | | | | to the fatty dressing, bacon, chicken and |
| chopped vegetables such as onions, peppers, | | | | other "goodies", it packs more calories than |
| carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or tomatoes. | | | | a Big Mac (which, if you are counting has 600 |
| Also you can add shredded, low-fat cheese or | | | | calories, 300 of which are from fat, and one |
| thinly sliced lean meat. These too, can be | | | | third of this from saturated fat). |
| cut up one night when you feel energized and | | | | |
| put in storage bags for the rest of the week. | | | | Lettuce and fat-free dressing can certainly |
| | | | be a healthy alternative to standard |
| Salad dressing can make or break the salad. | | | | fast-food fair. But it is easy to get |
| Salt and pepper or another spice may be | | | | detoured from this healthful track by adding |
| sufficient to bring all the tastes together | | | | on cheese, fried chicken chunks, and bacon. |
| for a great salad. You can also just use | | | | The choices for salad dressing can also make |
| olive oil and vinegar or salsa or one of the | | | | a huge difference. McDonald's also offers |
| many low-fat dressing available at the store. | | | | Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette(R) |
| Here is one "discovery" that I made that has | | | | with just 40 calories and zero cholesterol |
| helped me with trying to eat "limp" salads. | | | | compared to 290 calories and 20 mg of |
| We all like those spices that they put in | | | | cholesterol for the ranch dressing. Most |
| olive oil for dipping our bread. However, | | | | fast food restaurants list the dressing's |
| you can find these dry "dipping spices" at | | | | nutritional data separately, so unless you're |
| many grocery stores. I discovered that about | | | | eating your salad dry, you'll have to do some |
| 1-2 capfuls of olive oil and then some of | | | | quick addition to gauge the real dietary |
| these spices put on the salad really helped | | | | impact. |
| the taste. Rather than putting the dressing | | | | |
| on the salad before eating, ask or use the | | | | Like with foods in the grocery store, be a |
| dressing "on the side". If you dip your fork | | | | label reader! All of these fast food |
| into the dressing and then put the salad on | | | | restaurants must list the nutritional value |
| your fork, you still get the taste that you | | | | of their foods. But, I don't think you need |
| desire, but with far fewer total calories. | | | | to be taking a calculator to the restaurant. |
| You can make your own salad dressing by | | | | I would suggest that you look at two items |
| taking low-fat yogurt or low-fat mayonnaise | | | | and the rest will sort out: how many total |
| and adding spices such as !dried onion, | | | | calories would be consumed and what is the |
| parsley, thyme, garlic powder or pepper. | | | | saturated fat content. The foods to choose |
| | | | wisely are those that don't overload you on |
| Eating Salads Out: | | | | excess calories but still provide the taste |
| | | | that you like. It is not wrong for you to |
| Even the most health-conscious eaters often | | | | carry some of your own salad dressing with |
| have little choice and grabbing a meal at a | | | | you - and those "dipping spices" are very |
| fast-food restaurant is easy. Most of us at | | | | portable. |