Make it a Salad Summer

Mona Liza Reyes's picture
Posted June 1st, 2009 by Mona Liza Reyes

Summer is a terrific time to take advantage of lots of nutritious foods that are in season. To truly make the most of this opportunity and maximize health benefits, consider packing (or carefully purchasing) a salad for lunch! A salad every day may sound boring, but you can jazz it up with fresh fruit, vegetables, and small amounts of nuts to make a flavorful treat. Salads are also an excellent way to introduce new foods or foods you may not want to eat on their own, such as spinach or kale.

 

Tasty SaladRemember to exercise caution when purchasing a pre-made salad. Extras like croutons, shredded cheese, dry noodles, and nuts can pack hundreds of unnecessary calories onto your salad. Furthermore, you want to know the nutritional content of the salad dressing. Often times, we think we are making healthy choices by purchasing a salad—but with certain combinations of toppings and dressings, salads can end up having more calories and more grams of fat than other entrees. The best way to enjoy salad dressing is to order it on the side (or bring it in a separate container if you’re packing lunch), spearing your lettuce, and dipping it into the dressing. This way, you avoid unnecessary calories. The best dressings are those that are low in both fat and calories.

 

Craving protein? Some delicious and healthy choices include grilled chicken, grilled salmon, poached egg, and extra lean ham. The key to salads are moderation with fats and carbs, but you can generally add all of the vegetables you want. You can also enjoy a healthy amount of fresh fruit, and there are plenty of options that can really take your salad to the next level: apples, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, oranges, and the list continues!

 

Once you figure out what your favorite flavor combinations are, you may want to get adventurous and make your own healthy salad dressing. There are tons of resources on the Internet and in cookbooks that will help you create the perfect topper to your summer salad! If you get into salads now, it will be easy to continue your healthy habit beyond the summer and into the fall, winter, and spring seasons for year-round nutritional excellence.

 

Sources:

http://www.dnronline.com/flavor_details.php?AID=10832&sub=Home%20Cooking

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,low_calorie_salad_dressing,FF.html