Salads are supposed to be the right choice most of the time. We feel good when we order a salad and believe we are doing the healthiest thing for our body. While most of the time this is true, you still must be aware of the salads you choose because some aren’t as good for you as you may think.
When you’re choosing your bowl of greens this summer, you should know that three types contain more calories, sodium and fat than you may want, one dietitian says.
For starters, steer clear of taco salads, chef salads and Caesar salads. Taco salads that come in tortilla shells can have as many as 760 calories and 39 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat and 1 gram of trans fat and that’s not good.
Chef salads are loaded with meats and cheeses. The meats are often processed and contain nitrite preservatives that may increase risk for cancer when consumed consistently. Although you probably won’t be eating chef salad all day it’s still something to think about.
Caesar salads can be a problem because most varieties of Caesar dressing are heavy, creamy and high in calories. One way to limit the number of calories is to ask for the dressing on the side, that way you have more control over the amount, most restaurants poor it on.
House salads and garden salads tend to be very basic, usually lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions. One of these salads with the dressing on the side is the best way to control your caloric intake. As for the dressing itself, always go for a simple oil and vinegar dressing over any of the creamy types of dressing.
Salads typically contain good healthy ingredients but it’s what you add that makes the difference. By simply watching what’s in your salad, you can be healthier.
