The Salad Conundrum

So, you had a salad for lunch today, you say? Well my fair maiden, I ask you, how healthy do you think that colorful pile of green goodness was? Some may say, of course it was healthy it was a salad!
Here's the ugly truth- salads aren't always low calorie, nutrient rich and packed full clean fuel for your body.

Salads are a vast land of nutritional opportunity where you can load up on raw veggies, antioxidants, and vitamins. Or, you can drench that wilted pile of week old lettuce in some processed fats and seasoning (aka ranch and other dressings), load it up with bacon and fake lunch meat, or throw on a pile of proceeded shredded cheese. Which do you think your body would prefer to use for its fueling purposes?

Let’s start with the positives of salad making, shall we? The most prominent ingredient should be something green. My favorites are spring mix lettuce, spinach, kale or romaine. The darker the leaves the more nutrients available for your body during digestion. Lettuce is loaded with vitamin A which necessary to maintain healthy skin, teeth, and the skeletal and soft tissues in your body! I always suggest squeezing the juice from 1/4 of a lemon onto a salad. This extra zesty flavor will give your salad extra pizazz, and will make your salad dressing stretch further. I proceed by topping my salads with tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, purple onion, sun dried tomatoes, a few olives, or 1/4 of an avocado. These are just a few of the options available so experiment and discover what veggies you like!

As far as dressings are concerned, read the labels! Just like with many other foods, if you can't pronounce the ingredients, don't eat it. Many salad dressings are loaded with food coloring, color preservatives, and texture enhancers. Gross!! These chemical additives are foreign to your digestive system and ultimately end of wreaking havoc on your body. I personally love Brianna's salad dressing or Amy's brand. When building your salad, be conscious of each ingredients serving size, so extra calories don't sneak in and ruin your healthy fuel. You can always add more of something at the end if your garden fresh plate isn't tickling your taste buds.

Now that we have discussed the positive potential of salads, let’s talk about the ugly side of salads. Did you know, some salads can contain upwards of 1,000 calories and contain the same amount of fat as a cheese burger? So much for having a healthy lunch! These sneaky calories come from excessive cheese, fat laden dressings, processed meats, loads of candies nuts, and other non-vegetable toppings.

We all know it can be hard to eat healthy when dining out, especially because you aren’t the one putting your meal together. It is very easy for a salad to disguise caloric culprits, but do your homework before your next meal out and you will be thankful that you did! I always try to review a restaurant’s nutritional menu, often available online, before eating a meal there. Sometimes, if spontaneity prevails, this isn’t an option and then you have to use your best judgment.

One of the biggest restaurant salad offenders is Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad! With a whopping 1,390 calories (full sized, with dressing). You think swapping out the fried chicken for grilled will solve this salad crime? Think again. The Oriental Grilled Chicken Salad still boasts 1,290 calories. These salads contain 98g and 81g of fat respectively, which is comparable to the 90g of fat served up in their Bourbon Black & Blue Burger. Another salad monstrosity is Chili’s Quesadilla Explosion Salad at 1,360 calories and 88g of fat. That is approximately the recommended daily fat intake for TWO DAYS, not one meal!

Despite these calorie busting salads and sneaky fats, there are ways to maintain a healthy diet when eating out. Don't be afraid to ask for the dressing on the side or to exclude specific ingredients. It’s your food, order what you want to eat! Most restaurants have a healthier section of the menu, check there first. Our last tip is that you will use significantly less dressing if you dip your fork before each bite instead of dumping a few globs on top and mixing it around.

Hopefully these simple steps and added knowledge about fueling your body with nutritious ingredients will help you make better salad choice in the future. Happy crunching and munching!