Super salads can be hearty enough for a meal or light enough for a snack.
They are also a great way to add important nutrition to your day. Don’t settle for just lettuce, tomato and cucumber in your salad. Add different vegetables, fruits, cheeses and lean protein sources to your super salad to spruce up the flavor and nutritional content.
Beware of turning your super salad into a nutrition disaster.
Going too heavy on the salad dressings can turn a healthy meal option into a fat-laden creation. Make sure your super salads include ingredients that are full of flavor so you don’t need the dressing to be the star.
Low fat or light dressing
While there are many “low fat” or “light” dressing options available, many of these varieties are full of sugars and calories to make up for the flavor lost when the fat was reduced. Read Nutrition Facts food labels carefully to know what you’re really putting on your salad. Lemon and other fresh citrus juices are a great way to add a punch of flavor without loading up on the fat and calories. Choose olive oil and different vinegars for a heart-healthier option. Just remember that every tablespoon of oil contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat. Choose olive or canola oils because they contain higher amounts of monounsaturated fat, which can improve blood cholesterol levels but don’t forget that all oils are high in calories and fat regardless of what kind they are.
Try out these delicious super salad tips:
- Add baby spinach to your lettuce
- Add pre-cooked chicken or tuna
- Add hard-boiled eggs and lean lunch meats and make a chef’s salad
- Shredded cheese, feta, and cottage cheese add calcium
- Add grapefruit segments, mandarin oranges or sliced strawberries to pack your salad full of vitamin C
- Different colored peppers add different flavors and powerful healthy phytochemicals
- Add cooked whole grain pasta for a higher energy salad. Other whole grains to try include barley and quinoa, which will give your salad a vegetarian protein source.
- Add avocado to add protective monounsaturated fat
- Use olive oil and vinegar for a healthier dressing
- Chickpeas and cooked dried beans are a good source of protein. Try sprinkling kidney beans or black beans on your next salad.
- Sprinkle walnuts, cashews or pecans in your salad for a great source of omega-3 fat which is very heart healthy
- Dried fruits such as cranberries or raisins are delicious and nutritious
- Shredded carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A
