It could be one of the healthiest meal since it contains lots of vegetables and fruits, but it can also be a diet destroyer if you don't know what you're putting in.
Say you're on a salad bar, and there's a rainbow of vegetables and fruits which are often loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and fiber, and of course some phytonutrients and potential antioxidant. Now that's good. But do you know that an average of a salad bar plate can go up to 1,000 calories, depending on your choices?
Take a look at this Applebee's Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad. This contains 1,050 calories with 11 g saturated fats! Ouch!
Where does these huge calories come from?
Not from lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and other fresh veggies.
Instead, (depending on the amount), salad dressings, tortilla shells, cheese, croutons, bacon bits, fried onions and other higher-fat toppings can contribute to excess calories.
Don't want that extra calories in your diet?
Do know how to choose your salad dressing! Say you have a selection of vinaigrette and ranch dressing.
Raspberry Vinaigrette can contain 30 calories each tablespoon you give to your salad. Every time you see or hear the word "vinaigrette", understand that the core of this dressing lies in the mixing of olive oil/vegetable oil and lemon juice, or often vinegar as an acidic ingredient. Other ingredients are added to taste, such as raspberry, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper.
Compared to vinaigrette, ranch can contain about twice of calories, 73 calories in a spoonful based on Kraft's commercial regular ranch dressing. This type of dressing is made of some combos of buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, herbs, and then salt and pepper, which altogether create a huge calorie booster.
Does that mean you can only have vinaigrette for your dressings?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Go for the free-fat or lite ones, and or follow the fork dip method.
People usually pour their dressings into the salad, or dip their veggies into the dressing, which contributes to lots of fat and calories due to the large amount consumed.
Fork Dip method is another way to cut down the caloric content in your salad, by cutting down the amount of the salad dressing you eat. You just need to get a good dip of your fork into the salad before "stabbing" your fruits and veggies and whatnots. When you look at the picture above, you can see how the amount of dressing is reduced. It only slightly covers the surface of the fork, yet still giving the flavor you need in every bite. A must try!
I'll also have some other tips from the American Diet Association book for my nutrition class, and it basically tells you the amount, calories and fat content in each options of food offered in the salad bar.
This will also help you make a good, calorie-controlled homemade salad.
Now that you're getting better at this stuff, let me just guide you to another healthy steps that would make you feel even better.
According to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, here's how to control salad bar and solids fats:
- Pace yourself. Check out the salad bar from end to end before you fill your plate.
- Use a small salad plate, not a diner plate, if you're tempted to overdo.
- Start with greens. DARK-LEAFY vegetables such as spinach and romaine supply more nutrients and phytonutrients than iceberg lettuce does.
- Spoon of plenty of bright colored vegetables (broccoli, peppers, beets, or carrots, to name a few), beans (such as kidney and garbanzo beans), and fruits.
- Make it a hearty salad with protein-rich ingredients: beans (legumes), lean meat, turkey, crabmeat or surimi, tuna, eggs, and cheese (perhaps low-fat). Cottage cheese, other cheese, and yogurt on the salad bar also add calcium.
- Include fiber-rich mixed dishes not only made with beans. Look for those made with brown rice and other whole grains.
- Take small amounts of higher-fat toppings and mayonnaise-based side salads (macaroni, potato salad).
- Go light on you dressing. Go for low-fat or fat-free dressing.
How to go low-fat on your dressing?
EASY!
When making a homemade ones, subs the fat components like mayonnaise or sour cream for the lite one. For example, use light mayo, reduced fat sour cream, etc.
For vinaigrette, make it three parts vinegar/lemon juice to one part oil (e.g 3/4 cup vinegar to 1/4 cup oil) instead of the other way around, if you'd like it. It it's too acidic, dilute the vinegar with broth or juice. That said, vinaigrette is a way to enjoy healthy oils.
On taco salads, use lots of salsa with tomatoes, chiles, onions, herbs, and lime juice. Use a lighter touch with sour cream by going "50-50" : 50 percent sour cream, 50 percent plain, low-fat yogurt (or perhaps Greek yogurt).
LASTLY,
Reduce your fat intake by replacing some (not all) whole eggs with whites. I said leave some of the yolk because the yolk contains EPA and DHA that is actually good for your brain, and also good cholesterol (HDL) that can pick up cholesterol buildup in your body.
Good luck experimenting and please do make healthful choices!!!
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