Are the salad days over? Question: My friend says that my favorite salads could have more fat and calories than her double cheeseburger. Could this be true? Answer: It depends on what you put in your salad. If you’re topping crispy vegetables and greens with shredded cheddar cheese, diced ham, and ranch dressing, your salad could indeed have as many fat grams and calories as a deluxe double cheeseburger, weighting in at roughly 30 grams of fat and approximately 400 calories. But don’t toss away the lettuce for the red meat just yet. Instead, heap grated carrots, mushrooms, raw broccoli flowerets, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, radicchio, purple cabbage, cucumber, and sweet red peppers. For protein, try turkey breasts or cooked egg whites. And by keeping the following tips in mind, you can cut the fat while keeping the taste, nutrition, and pleasure of a colorful and tasty salad. Avoid fatty toppings. These include avocado slices (16 calories for every thin slice), and luncheon meats such as salami, ham, and pepperoni, which contain up to 60% fat calories and too much salt. Also, skip the croutons, which can add 130 calories and five grams of fat for every ounce. Stay clear of high-fat dressings. Some contain up to four teaspoons of fat and 170 calories for every ladleful at the salad bar. Instead, go for the low-calorie dressings and use them sparingly. Consider dressings with a thinner consistency, such as Italian and French, rather than the thicker Blue Cheese and Thousand Island dressings, since they spread more evenly over the salad. Better yet, portion out a one-half to one-scoop serving into a separate container and lightly dip your fork into the dressing first, then into the salad. Skip the cheeses. Creamy cottage cheese contains more than a teaspoon of fat for every ½ cup serving, and cheddar cheese can add about 115 calories and two teaspoons of fat per ounce. Substitute fat-free cottage cheese or a little grated Parmesan cheese (one tablespoon contains about a half-teaspoon of fat.) Pass on everything mixed with oil, mayonnaise, cheese, or whipped cream. This includes potato or pasta salads, Mexican meat or cheese sauces, tuna mixed with mayonnaise, egg salad, macaroni and cheese, tartar sauce, and Waldorf salad. A one-ladle serving of these could contribute up to three tablespoons of fat to your meal.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 21:55:42 +0000