{"id":160640,"date":"2023-05-09T02:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dherbs.com\/?p=160640"},"modified":"2023-05-08T16:00:38","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T23:00:38","slug":"6-ways-you-might-be-sabotaging-your-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dherbs.com\/articles\/6-ways-you-might-be-sabotaging-your-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Salads aren\u2019t the same as ice cream, but plenty of people eat them on a regular basis. In fact, a recent poll of 2,000 U.S. adults reported that 62% of the people eat salads four times per week. If that is the case, how do you explain the staggering rates of obesity in America? Well, the unfortunate reality is that people may be sabotaging their salads without knowing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A salad should be a large bowl of fresh, raw vegetables and leafy greens. You can also add fresh fruit, legumes, sprouts, quinoa, and nuts and seeds to enhance your salads<\/a>. These ingredients make for a terrific, healthy salad, but it\u2019s very easy to go astray and detract from a salad’s health benefits. Drowning your salad in store bought dressing, overdoing the carbs, and forgetting about healthy protein, among other missteps, can turn a nutritious bowl into a caloric nightmare.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you order out or make your own, be mindful of the following ways you may be sabotaging your salad<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the thing about dressings\u2026they can be healthy, especially if you make them yourself<\/a>. Ideally, you want a dressing that is not too light, but not too heavy, either. The dressing can drastically increase the calories of your salad because most store bought dressings contain excess fat, dairy products<\/a>, sodium, and processed ingredients. You don\u2019t want your salad to turn into a 2,000-calorie meal. Balsamic, apple cider, and red wine vinegars are all great to mix with olive oil, avocado oil, or grape seed oil. Choose your favorite seasonings and get after it! Be sure to comb through our salads and dressings section here<\/a> for inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Croutons, quite simply, are very high in saturated fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), just a half-ounce of croutons contains 99 milligrams (mg) of sodium and 10 grams (g) of carbs. While there are healthier versions of croutons, most of the available choices are unhealthy. Rather than cover your salad in processed bread cubes, add a satisfying crunch to your salad with nuts or seeds, chickpeas, kale chips, or dried seaweed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n We aren\u2019t talking about weight, we\u2019re talking about color. A lot of people use iceberg lettuce, which isn\u2019t the unhealthiest thing you can eat, but it pales in comparison to darker leafy greens<\/a> like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and arugula. For example, one cup of spinach provides 30 mg of calcium and .8 mg of iron<\/a>, whereas a cup of iceberg lettuce only offers 10.3 mg of calcium and .2 mg of iron. Dark leafy greens are naturally rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Many reports and studies confirm that these greens contain health properties that can help combat heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and can improve gut health. Consider abandoning the lighter leaves and focus on darker, richer greens. Plus, using different greens helps change up your salad, which works to keep your taste buds interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a salad is going to be your meal, you need to make it substantial. While you can have a large bowl of different fruits and vegetables, you may want to include additional sources of protein<\/a>. A salad doesn\u2019t have to be a wimpy afterthought! When people hear the word \u201cprotein,\u201d they tend to associate it with poultry, meat, chicken, fish, or eggs. If you don\u2019t want to include animal products, there are many vegan protein sources to choose from. Nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains all offer protein and other nutrients that help increase feelings of fullness<\/a>. Don\u2019t be afraid to put nuts or avocado in your salad because you think it will increase the calories too much. All those store bought dressings and croutons do the exact same thing in a much unhealthier way.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nDrowning It In Dressing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Going Crazy With The Croutons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Using Light Greens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Forgetting Protein<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Packaged Dressings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n