Is Your Salad Really Healthy?

We have equated salads with healthy eating and weight loss. Because salads mostly contain vegetables and are easy to prepare, it's a fixture on most weight loss plans. However, there are some cases wherein going for the salad is not the healthier choice.

How can you go wrong with a bowl of vegetables, you ask? You can; apparently, with what you add to these vegetables are the ones sabotaging your weight loss efforts. Even at small amounts, the dressing, croutons, bacon bits and cheese count against the calories you give up in order to lose weight.

The fact that most of the salad dressings we tend to favour use mayonnaise should have us re-evaluate the steps we take towards a healthier lifestyle. While these salad dressings are indeed full of flavour, these dressings are also loaded on calories that put a dent on our calorie limit. Moreover, the preservatives in these dressings are can also have an effect on your health.

Apart from the dressing, the toppings we put on our salad can also make a difference. Sure, the greens are good for you, but if you keep on adding chicken crisps, croutons, cheese and the like, that just defeats the whole purpose of eating healthy. You may as well forget the salad and snack on chocolate bars instead. These toppings are high in calories and just off-set the multiple health benefits of the vegetables.

Basically, the fixings and the dressings are the key to keeping your salad healthy. Try out these tips on how you can make your salad really work for you and your weight loss goals:

1. Watch your portions. It's better if you make your own salads at home because you're in control of how much you eat. But if you're eating out, eat half an order.

2. Avoid calorie-rich creamy dressings. If you can, opt for dressings with olive oil or balsamic vinegar which are healthier but just as flavourful. When eating out, ask the staff to serve dressing on the side so you're in control of how much dressing goes in your salad. One trick you can try is dipping your fork into the dressing, then onto the salad with each bite. This way, your salad isn't swimming in high-calorie dressing.

3. Go for dark leafy greens like spinach and fresh herbs, which have more nutritional value.

4. Pick healthier proteins. Opt for grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu or a hard-boiled egg instead of meat and fried toppings.

5. Swap out croutons for more vegetables. If you're looking for more texture in your salad, toss in cherry tomatoes, olives, peanuts, carrots, corn, peppers, onions or cucumber.

6. Pick healthier cheese. For a big serving of salad, 1/4 cup of feta, blue, mozzarella, cheddar or goat cheese would suffice.

7. Add fruits. Why stop with vegetables when you can enjoy the health benefits of fruits in your salad to? Try orange slices, strawberries or cranberries to add a fruity twist to your dish.

The great thing about salads is that you can get creative with them. Just keep these tips in mind so you can make the most of your green, leafy meal.

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