Sneaky Ways that Salads Might Be Interfering with your Wellness Goals
Happy National Salad Month! Salads are a great way to increase intake of crucial vitamins and minerals by creating a meal that is packed with vegetables. They are also great for volume eating, allowing you to consume bigger portions due to the low-calorie and high-fiber nature of vegetables. They are refreshing, easy, can be prepped ahead of time, and are perfect for Spring and Summer! However, while they do have many benefits, there are some things to be cautious of when making salads at home and ordering them from restaurants.
One of the major things to be cautious of when preparing salads is your choice of dressing. Because salad dressings are typically oil-based, they tend to be high in calories, fat, sodium, and added sugars. For example, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing contains 130 calories and 13 grams of fat for only 2 tablespoons; calories can quickly add up because most people use more than the recommended serving, therefore it’s important to read nutrition labels when purchasing dressings from the grocery store and to be cautious of serving sizes! A pro tip to get more salad dressing without the added calories is to add a little bit of water to thin it out; this will allow you to taste the same flavor of your favorite dressings and have a larger volume to use with your salad. You can also make your dressing at home so you can control the amount of added ingredients that go into it, allowing you to limit the harmful additives (like sugar, sodium, saturated fat) that are typically seen in dressings.
Another thing to be cautious of when it comes to salads are some of the toppings; common toppings to salads are croutons, seeds, cheese, and nuts. While all of these things are okay in moderation, they are also more energy-dense for smaller portions (similar to salad dressing) and can be high in fat. It is also a common misconception that ordering salads from restaurants is considered the “healthiest” option; while this may be the case in certain situations, it’s not always true because restaurants tend to add a lot of dressing and ingredients to enhance the flavor of the meal they are providing, which may also in turn add more calories, sodium, fat, and sugar. So, just be careful with serving sizes and be sure to check the ingredients; asking for the dressing on the side when ordering out can also help you control the amount of calories contained in the salad!
Even though there are some aspects of salads that may interfere with your health and wellness goals, this does not mean you shouldn’t consume them! Again, because salads are full of veggies, they are great for creating a nutrient-dense meal with many different vitamins and minerals. To make your salad even more nutrient-dense, make sure you add a protein to help keep you full and create a well-balanced meal! The main takeaway from this is to just be knowledgeable about what is in the salad, as well as serving sizes of the ingredients.