A healthy salad

A healthy salad

When we think of the word “salad” we often think of the words “healthy”, “diet”, “refreshing”, “low calorie”, etc. Salads provide many vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals which are all good for our health.  However, all salads are not created equal. While some salads are very healthy, others contain more calories and fat than a cheeseburger and fries. Below are some tips for making a healthy salad.

·         Start your salad with leafy greens. Choose from a range of greens including romaine, arugula, spinach, etc. You can find a wide variety of greens at the local farmers market, the supermarket, or you can grow leafy greens in your own garden. They are low in calories at less than 20 calories a cup, and provide many nutrients including Vitamins A, C, K and Folic acid.

·         Add a variety of vegetables to your salad. They will add 23-30 calories a cup and provide a variety of nutrients including Vitamins A, C, and folate, fiber, and antioxidants. Some common vegetables to add include cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and broccoli, but be creative and try adding a new vegetable every few weeks.

·         Add fresh fruit to your salad.  One half cup of fruit will add only 30 calories and an abundance of nutrients including vitamins A, C, folate, fiber, and phytochemicals.  Some great options include strawberries, blueberries, grapes, orange slices, and apples. Fruit will add color, sweetness, and texture to your salad.

·         Add 2-3 ounces of lean protein to make a salad into a meal. Some good sources include, chicken, turkey, fish, beans, tofu, and egg.  Be aware of portion sizes and avoid adding anything fried or in heavy sauces.

·         Allow for one tablespoon of a higher calorie topping including nuts, seeds, dried fruit, bacon bits, croutons, or shredded cheese. These toppings can add great flavor and texture, but will add extra calories, so add only one of these toppings.

·         To make your salad into a complete meal you can also choose to add a small amount of a high fiber grains including brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat couscous, whole wheat pasta, etc.

·         Add a salad dressing that is high in monounsaturated fat and low in saturated fat. Use an olive oil based dressing and avoid cream based dressing. For an even healthier dressing, make your own dressing with olive oil, vinegar, and herbs/spices or use salsa as a dressing.

Tips for eating a healthy salad at a restaurant

·         Order a salad as an appetizer before your main course. This will help to keep you away from the bread and other higher calorie appetizers on the table while you wait for your main course.

·         When ordering a salad, always ask for the dressing on the side. You can then either add a small amount to your salad or dip your salad into the dressing. This will ensure you can limit the amount of dressing added.

·         When ordering a salad, read the salad ingredients on the menu and ask for items “on the side” if you question whether they are a healthy addition to your salad. This will leave the option to leave them out.

·         Be careful at salad bars. They usually contain many healthy salad items. However, they often also have prepared salads that have mayonnaise, creams, fried foods, etc. in them. These are not items you want to add to your salad.

·         Watch your portion size when eating a salad in a restaurant. While the vegetables may be low calorie, the protein, other additions, and salad dressing can add significant calories.

Enjoy a variety of salads. You can find many recipes online, in cookbooks, and you can even create your own unique salad recipes.

Not just any diary

Not just any diary – a food diary

Diet recommendations are always changing and new fad diets come and go. There are many diets to choose from, with many different plans to fit a variety of individual's needs. But one constant continues – keeping a food diary. Many studies have found that dieters who keep a food diary have more weight loss success.

So what is a food diary, and why should you keep one?

A food diary is a written record of everything that you eat and drink during the day. It can also include your exercise and daily water intake. There are many ways to record what you are eating. It can be in a notebook or binder, on your computer, or even on your phone. Websites and smart phones have made it even easier, as there are many free websites and phone app's that will help you to determine the nutrient content of foods.

 

Benefits of keeping a food diary

• Helps you to focus on what you are eating. If you have to write it down, it brings more awareness to food choices. Can you remember what you ate this morning, yesterday, or a week ago? It is often hard to remember what we eat at meals, let alone when we grab a piece of candy, take a taste when preparing dinner, or have a few crackers while waiting to eat lunch. By recording what you eat, it brings awareness to what you are eating.
  
• Helps you to be aware of portion sizes. Very often we eat food without awareness of portion sizes and nutrient content. By keeping a food diary you will be aware of every calorie that you are eating and drinking.
  
• Accountability If you have to write it down, it is real. This alone will make you think before you eat. We often don't remember to count snacks, tastes while preparing dinner, that piece of candy, or few crackers while waiting for our lunch. But, they do count, and having the responsibility to write it down, can help you to think before you eat.
  
• Provides a guide to bring to your health care provider. This will help you and your health care provider to evaluate your diet and weight changes over time.
  
• Helps you to keep track of your progress. You can see the improvements in your eating habits, and helps to be sure you are eating a variety of foods and nutrients.
  
• Helps you through plateaus. You can focus on small changes for further weight loss.
  
• Keeps you motivated. It is a constant reminder about eating healthy and exercising.
  

 

To get started

• Get a notebook or binder to use for your food diary, use an online program, or download an app onto your smart phone. There is no right or wrong method – choose a method that will be easiest for you and your lifestyle.
  
• Record everything you eat and drink. Include portion sizes and when you ate.
  
• Read food labels and/or use the programs available on the apps to determine calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the food.
  
• You can also record your exercise. It can help to provide motivation to keep you moving.
  

 

Enjoy your food diary, and best of all, see the pounds come off.