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