The Scoop on Salad!

Everyone thinks "I'll just have a salad, that's light and healthy, right?" Well, it can be, but don't fall prey to the many fatty add-on's to your salad. This goes for homemade salads too. You probably can identify the bad ingredients, but I am here to drive the point home! And I am not just talking about fattening ingredients, there are some that are nutritionally void, and you'd be better off with a different item. Read on to find out the Scoop on Salad! It'll make your personal trainer so happy you did

Iceberg Lettuce. This light green and white lettuce leaf is pretty much a zero nutritionally, and has much less falvor than other leafy greens. Go for darker greens, such as spinach, red leaf lettuce or romaine. The darker the leaf, the better it is for you. These darker greens pack a punch of iron, vitamin B and other nutrients. Iceberg is basically water.

Croutons. If you want to add crunch to your salad, there are better options. These hard bits of bread are not worth it if you are watching your weight. Loaded with calories and fat, even a few can derail your best laid plans. Instead, go for crunchy nuts or peppers to give your salad some texture. Peppers are crunchy and are practically calore free, plus they have a great sweet flavor if you choose red or yellow varieties. Also, they have vitamins A, C and K instead of saturated fat and high calorie counts. As far as nuts go, be careful. They are dense in calories, but you can get a big bang from them. Crush a few walnuts or almonds over the top of your salad and get the benefit of omega-3's and other essential fats. Just a few should do the trick.

Pasta Salad. Pass this one for sure. Not only would you be eating pasta salad that is probably not made from wheat pasta, the better choice, but most are mayonnaise based and high in fat. Plus, they sit out on the salad bar for how long? Even the ones with italian style dressings will be bad, lots of oil is needed to keep the pasta from sticking to itself, and you don't need any extra fat, do you? In it's place, toss on some beans. All varieties are good, but black beans and kidney beans are highest in protein and fiber, with the added advantage of making you feel full for a longer period of time. Garbanzo beans are good on a salad too. If you are skipping meat in your salad, you can pile on about half a cup, but if you are adding chicken, tofu or another protein, keep it under a quarter cup of beans.

Grilled Veggies. You'd think these would be a good choice, but think again. Most are grilled in oil or fat, in contrast to their raw cousins. When you grill veggies at home for a salad, you probably aren't grilling them in half a cup of oil, but the chef at the restaurant is! You can sub in raw veggies and get the nutritional benefits, and use small amounts of oil and vinegar to add flavor, along with spices and pepper. Along with those raw veggies, have a helping of beets. These guys are often ignored, but you should give them a shot. Although they taste sweet, it is a natural sweetness, and they typically do not have sugar added. Beets are high in fiber, folate and flavor!

Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing. You know these are no-no's! Even if your salad is packed with veggies and all kinds of healthy ingredients, your choice of dressing can ruin the whole thing. Dressings like Ranch, Blue Cheese, French, 1000 Island, or Caesar can have as many as 20 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons! Instead, opt for oil-based dressings. Ideally, have straight Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, and use it very sparingly. If there are no non-fat or low-fat dressings available, get italian on the side and dip just your fork into the dressing for each bite. You then control the amount of dressing you are getting, and that is the best plan. Do not dump a few scoops of italian or oil-based dressing on your salad, it defeats the whole purpose of trying to eat a healthy salad. I sometimes bring my own salad spritzer with me, or a small container of a low-cal dressing from home. No one cares, or will notice, and who cares if they do? You're the skinny one, right?

Bacon Bits. Well, this one should be obvious, but just in case…do not even think about counting these salty, fatty bits that are packed with preservatives (if they are imitation) as a protein. If you need a kick of salty or savory in your salad, add a small amount of parmesan cheese. A little goes a long way, and one tablespoon can add about 2 grams of protein and 50 mg of calcium. And, it's tasty!

Just be wary of the salad bar. There are so many good-looking ingredients out there for you to add to your plate, but you want to be good-looking too, right? And skipping bad foods is part of that. Your waistline, skin and internal organs will thank you. The more natural, healthy ingredients you consume, the better you will feel and look. Are you going to lay awake at night wishing you had added a scoop of bacon bits or blue cheese dressing to your salad? I bet no. So, make a big salad, but make it a smart salad.

Be eXcellent! - Ms. X, your Hollywood Personal Trainer to the stars =)

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