These Are The Worst Salads &
The Best Ones You Can Eat
If it's got greens & dressing, it's good for you right?
Not so much.
Find out what can take a salad from filling
& nutrious to filled with empty calories.
Is Salad Really a Healthy Choice?
- That depends on what you add to those greens.
- The right toppings can create a filling meal that’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein,
healthy fats & smart carbs. - But other ingredients can pack in extra calories, fat, sodium & sugar.
- By making good choices, you can toss together a salad that’s delicious & nutritious.
Worst: Salad With Creamy Dressing
- Dressings like Ranch, Blue cheese & Thousand Island are often high in calories, unhealthy saturated fat & sodium.
- A 2 T spoon serving of a typical blue cheese dressing tacks on nearly 150 calories & more
than 15 grams of fat. - And many people drench theirs in a 1/2 C or more.
- The result is a salad that can serve up more fat than a burger with fries.
Worst: Salad With Fat-Free Dressing
- So, go with a low-calorie, fat-free dressing, right - think again.
- To make up for flavor, they’re often loaded with extra sugar & sodium.
- Fat makes salads tastier & healthier.
- Your body needs it to take in & use certain vitamins, like A, D, E & K.
- One study found that people got fewer anti-oxidants called carotenoids when they ate
salads with fat-free dressing, compared with reduced or full-fat dressing.
Worst: Crispy Chicken Salad
- A green salad with chicken may sound like a healthy meal, but descriptions like crispy &
crunchy are red flags. - These words are code for breaded & deep-fried, which can turn that healthy-sounding
salad into a calorie bomb. - What’s worse, research shows that eating a lot of fried foods can raise your chances of
heart disease & type 2 diabetes.
Worst: Iceberg Wedge Salad
- This is a classic. But don’t order one if you’re trying to eat light.
- Thanks to the blue cheese or ranch dressing, it can pack in 4 times the fat of a T-bone
steak. - It also falls short in the nutrition department.
- That’s because iceberg lettuce contains fewer vitamins & minerals than most dark leafy
greens.
Worst: Salad With Croutons & Cheese
- Store-bought croutons mock bacon bits are high in salt & they don’t offer much nutrition.
- If you like the crunch, try adding nuts, seeds or crisp veggies, such as jicama & carrots
instead. - Cheese has calcium, but it also packs roughly 100 calories per oz. If you really want some,
opt for a low-fat one, like feta or Parmesan & add just a sprinkle.
Worst: Dried Fruit, Candied Nuts
- These sweet toppings are often made with added sugar and oil.
- For example, an ounce of candied pecans can pack in a 4 grams (1 t of sugar).
- And dried fruit has less water & volume than the fresh kind.
- That means you get less: One serving is half a cup, or half that of fresh fruit.
Worst: Taco Salad
- Some of these pack in more calories than a burrito.
- That’s because they start with a deep-fried tortilla shell.
- That bow alone can have nearly 400 calories & 22 grams of fat.
- Then it’s filled with oversized portions of, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.
- This salad can weigh in at 800 calories or more!
Worst: ‘Salads’ With Mayonnaise
- The word salad in the name doesn't make it a healthy choice.
- Tuna, lean chicken & boiled eggs can be good sources of protein, but that benefit is
canceled out if you drown them in mayo, which is loaded with fat, salt & calories. - For a healthier version, use a small amount of light mayonnaise & some fat-free sour cream
or plain yogurt. - And a bit of mustard, which has no fat or sugar but can kick it up a notch.
Worst: ‘Salads’ With Mayonnaise
- The word salad in the name doesn't make it a healthy choice.
- Tuna, lean chicken & boiled eggs can be good sources of protein, but that benefit is
canceled out if you drown them in mayo, which is loaded with fat, salt & calories. - For a healthier version, use a small amount of light mayonnaise & some fat-free sour
cream or plain yogurt. - And a bit of mustard,which has no fat or sugar & can kick it up a notch.
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Best: Use Olive Oil & Vinegar
- Make your own dressing & you’ll cut back on the unhealthy stuff.
- Start with olive oil, which has heart-healthy unsaturated fat.
- Whisk with balsamic or red wine vinegar or lemon or lime juice.
- You can also add a little Dijon mustard or honey for flavor & season with salt & black pepper.
Best: Add Grilled Chicken or Fish
- A salad of veggies alone won’t fill you up for long,you need protein to fend off hunger.
- Protein takes longer to digest, so you stay satisfied longer.
- Good sources include chicken breast & salmon.
- Make sure to grill, poach, or bake it.
- Some cooking methods, like blackened or fried, add extra margarine for the chicken &
oil or breading for the salmon.
Best: Spinach or Kale Salad
- When it comes to leafy greens, darker is better because they have the most nutirents.
- Why because Kale & spinach have over 10 times more immune-boosting vitamins A & C
than iceberg lettuce. - If you're not a fan of those, turn over a new leaf: Boston, bibb & romaine lettuces have
a mild flavor, while arugula & watercress have a peppery bite.
Best: Salad Loaded With Veggies
- Add a mix of veggies to your salad to get more nutrition & flavor.
- Top those leafy greens with crunchy produce like carrots, cucumbers, or broccoli.
- Then add a punch of color from tomatoes, bell peppers, beets, or red onion.
- While you’re at it, toss in last night’s leftovers, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, or asparagus.
Best: Use Fresh Fruit & Nuts
- The fruit adds sweetness & anti-oxidants.
- The nuts give you protein, fiber & healthy fat.
- This mix of nutrients makes your salad more satisfying & healthy.
- In fact, research shows that eating nuts regularly can help fend off heart disease & cancer.
- Try pairing berries with almonds, apples with walnuts & peaches with pecans.
Best: Black Bean-and-Avocado Salad
- Get all the flavor of a taco salad without the extra calories by topping it with black beans & avocado.
- The beans are a good source of disease-fighting antioxidants & they have protein & fiber,
as well as energy-boosting iron. - Avocado adds creaminess & fiber. plus, its fats help your body take in nutrients, including
heart-healthy lycopene.
Homemade Salads
- When you make your own, you control what goes into it.
- You can pile on the veggies & use healthier ingredients.
- You can add crunchy seeds for croutons.
- And keep tabs of your portions of higher calorie toppings.
Tips for Restaurant Salads
- Many restaurants load their salads with cheese in a Dairy Kosher Restaurant & all Kosher restaurants put fried onions or croutons in their salads.
- Then they douse them in dressing.
- Even a simple Cobb salad can clock in at nearly 1,000 calories & 85 grams of fat.
- Check out the restaurant’s nutritional info to make a smart pick.
- And ask for those toppings on the side.
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