Crazy question... or is it? Do you regularly eat at the salad bar of your company cafeteria or local deli because you are trying to lose weight and yet you find that you are gaining instead? Can't understand how these lunches of salad could possibly be adding weight, rather than subtracting it? Perhaps you'd better look a bit more closely at your salad.
Salad itself -- meaning greens such as lettuce, spinach and arugula -- is not the culprit. You will not get fat eating greens. The question is, what are you putting on top of them? If your salad regularly contains any or all of the following ingredients, you may be getting more calories than you bargained for:
- Creamy dressing (bleu cheese, ranch, creamy Italian, etc)
- Cheese (cubed, shredded)
- Pre-made salads (potato, macaroni, cole slaw, etc)
- Croutons
- Bacon bits (real bacon, as opposed to imitation)
- Nuts and seeds
- Marinated vegetables in oil-based dressings
- Tuna or Chicken salad (with a mayonaise-based dressing)
While most of the above "salad busters" might be okay in small quantities (ie: a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, or a couple of croutons), most people just load up indiscriminately. To revamp your salad into a slimmed down version, try adding the following toppings instead:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Hearts of Palm (jarred, in water)
- Red and Green bell pepper
- Beans (garbanzo, kidney, black, etc)
- Capers (these add a salty zing - try them instead of Bacon Bits)
- Grapes
- Dried cranberries or golden raisins
- Sliced turkey or chicken
- Jarred roasted red peppers (not in oil)
- Canned artichoke hearts (not in oil)
- Imitation bacon bits
For variety, try throwing something unusual (but not high fat) into your salad like a few mandarin orange segments, a couple of pimentos, or a couple of pickled beets. Need something crunchy to top your salad? Avoid fried cruncy noodles like the plague! A few croutons are okay, but a better choice is some sliced jicama (a wonderful crunchy root vegetable). Want to add some Mexican flavor to your salad? Top greens with black beans, salsa, and a few crushed, baked tortilla chips.
A salad can be your best friend. At lunch, a big salad with some lean meat (ie turkey), lots of veggies, and a light dressing can be filling and nutritious. At dinner, a side or appetizer salad can help fill you up so you eat less. Just remember to watch your toppings and dressings.
Keep visiting fitfoodie.com for other ideas on how to make better food choices. Looking for a makeover for a specific snack? E-mail me at ann@fitfoodie.com and I'll try to help!
