Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Healthy Salads - Avoid Turning Your Salad Into a Calorie Trap

Salads are supposed to be a healthy option that you can add to your diet. However, many people add the wrong ingredients and end up with a high calorie meal without every realizing it. When you are making your own salads, it is important that you make sure you avoid sneaky fat traps that can quickly turn your salad into a disaster. To get the best nutrition from your salad and to avoid calorie and fat traps, here are a few great tips to keep in mind for healthy salads that are high in nutrition and low in fat and calories.

Tip #1 - Stop Using Iceberg 

One of the lettuce options many people use in their salads is iceberg lettuce. However, if you want great nutrition you will want to stop using this type of lettuce. This type of greens happens to be low in nutrients, which means they will not add much to your salad. They are low in flavor as well, so skip them all together for a salad that packs more nutritional punch.

Tip #2 - Avoid Bacon Bits

While bacon bits definitely add some crunch to any salad, it is best to avoid them since they are packed with fat and calories. Adding just one serving of bacon bits can add 4 grams of saturated fat and 100 calories. If you like the crunch and valor, go with turkey bacon bits or Canadian bacon bits, which provide some protein without as many calories and fat.

Tip #3 - Eliminate Sweet Additions 

Some people love adding sweet additions to their salads, such as sugared almonds and candied walnuts. You might as well be throwing pieces of candy into your salad if you do this. Adding nuts is a great way to get healthy fats, but avoid sugared nuts to cut calories and sugar content in your salad.

Tip #4 - Stop Adding High Fat Cheese

Low fat dairy is great, but you need to stop adding high fat cheese to your salads. High fat cheese can quickly begin adding a lot of calories to your salad, making it less than healthy. Full fat cheeses can provide you with 9 grams of fat and 120 calories for each ounce. If you like cheese on your salads, go with feta or goat cheese and avoid eating too much of it.

Tip #5 - Forget the Carb Additions

Last, it is important that you avoid the carb additions to salads that can quickly begin sabotaging the salad and making it an unhealthy choice. Buttery croutons are a big mistake and they offer little nutrition and more calories and fat that you do not need. For crunch, go with plain nuts or crumble several whole grain crackers instead.

Grilled Salmon Salad Recipe 

For a healthy salad, try this grilled salmon salad recipe.
Ingredients:
  • 5 pounds of salmon
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • 3 tablespoons of light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 8 ounces of mixed salad greens
  • 4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
  • ¼ cup of pine nuts
  • ¼ green onions, minced
  • Tomato vinaigrette
Rinse and dry salmon. Mix together chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Rub salmon with mixture of spices. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Grill for 6-8 minutes, turning once until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Divide greens on four plates. Place grilled salmon on top. Drizzle with some of the tomato vinaigrette. Sprinkle with pine nuts, green onions, and goat cheese. Makes four servings.
Salads can be a great addition to any diet as long as they include healthy ingredients. Find great grilled chicken recipes you can use to add to salads and tasty chicken salad recipes that won't make the calories add up.
BonelessChickenRecipe.com - Chicken so delightfully moist, you can almost smell it through your monitor.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Szalay_Kudra

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