Making Salads Interesting

By Rebecca Bitzer, MS, RD

Rebecca Bitzer & Assoc

. https://rbitzer.com/

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Making Salads Interesting

For many individuals, finding ways to incorporate vegetables into their diet is a daunting task. To correct this, many fast food restaurants are offering salads and advertising them as a healthy option. This can be quite misleading as several of the salads pack as many, if not more, calories than the sandwiches offered. One such popular food chain salad contains 400 calories and that is not even including salad dressing, which can add an additional 40 to 100 calories and between 2.5 and 18 grams of fat per serving. This is quite surprising since salads used to be a food that was restricted to dieters. Now, with the additions of croutons, salad dressings, high fat meats, cheese, nuts, and olives, some salads pack more calories than an order of French fries.
Keeping a salad delicious and healthy is possible. Some ways to maintain taste while skimming on the fat are to choose one source of protein for your salad. That means that instead of a salad with three types of meat, opt for one meat source and make sure that it does not exceed the recommended three ounces, which is about the size of a standard deck of playing cards. When eating salads made with tuna fish or chicken salad, using a light mayonnaise can also reduce the caloric content of the salad.
Another way to cut out the calories is to choose a light dressing such as vinaigrette or to use olive oil and vinegar. When choosing a salad dressing, try to veer away from dressings that have high fructose corn syrup in their ingredients. If you must choose one that contains high fructose corn syrup, then try to choose a variety that lists it lower down in the ingredient list.
Cheese can also add calories and fat, particularly saturated fat. Try to avoid or limit cheese in salad especially if you already have a protein source. If you love cheese in your salad, then cut back on the meat and do a little bit of each. Sprinkling parmesan cheese on a salad can add a hint of cheese flavor without adding as many calories as other cheeses.
Croutons also add many calories. Try making your own whole grain croutons by using whole wheat bread or pita. Also, using baked tortilla chips or whole grain crackers add a nice crunch without adding too many calories.
Fruits such as strawberries, mango, blueberries, pears, and apples add a nice refreshing taste to any salad. Top with a light vinaigrette dressing and serve with a fish fillet for a lovely summer dinner. Nuts and seeds can make a salad satisfying, but can also add a lot of calories and fat if eaten in excess.
Hopefully, you now have some new ideas as to how to spice up your salads this summer. As always, fruits and vegetables taste best when picked in season, so look for fruits such as cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, cherries, and mangos and vegetables such as red bell peppers, fresh corn, cucumber, green beans, and green peas. Bon a petit and have a delightfully fresh and healthy summer.