Pros and cons of salads

block
Tamanna Chowdhury :
Salads are most people’s first meeting with raw foods. Raw fruits and vegetables of salad will help you to keep better more fit, become healthier and live longer. Category wise salads are a raw vegetables made dish. Salads are generally served with a dressing, as well as various garnishes such as nuts or croutons and sometimes with the addition of meat, fish, pasta, cheese, eggs, or whole grains. There are various types of salads like Appetizer Salads, Accompaniment Salads, Main Course Salads, Dessert Salads, etc. All salads have body and most have dressing but base and garnish are parts of only some salads.
Salads are a fibre rich dish. Raw Vegetables in salads are good sources of insoluble fiber, which keeps your digestive tract healthy.
A recent study suggests that, eating enough fiber earlier in life lowers the risk of developing heart disease later in life. Salads have varied textures, shapes, sizes and colors which make them visually appealing and satisfying.
Salads are low in calories and can help you lose weight
A beautiful bowl of leafy greens, tossed with other colorful veggies like orange, broccoli, carrots, onions, bright red tomatoes and yellow bell peppers is really the picture of healthy salads. But there’s a dark side to salad, too. Walking into a restaurant food place and ordering just any salad might not be a healthy choice. Many restaurant salads are overloaded with lots of extras that can make the calorie count fly. These fatty calorie-bombs include fried chicken strips or shrimp, cheese, sausage, fried tortilla strips, crispy fried noodles etc.
Salads calorie : Salads always known as a low caloric dishes, but adding some different ingredients or just a few simple changes can make a huge difference. If you add the wrong ingredients for example chopped bacon/ sausage, cheese and creamy dressing or a standard restaurant chef’s salad loaded with Swiss cheese, roast beef, eggs yolk and dressing can cost you more than 800 TO 1,000 calories and more than 70gms of fat. It is important to choose a healthy nutritious base for your salad that provides low calorie.
Salads protein : Adding protein, such as lean meat, tofu, eggs or beans, will help to keep you full longer. Your salad becomes a meal when you add the protein If you’re choosing for protein, select one lean source such as egg whites or skinless chicken breast, water-packed chunk light tuna or salmon or tofu or chickpeas, kidney beans or other legumes. Stay away from caloric or processed meats like bacon and salami, and definitely skip anything fried or soaked in heavy sauce unfortunately, many protein toppings are deep-fried which adds unnecessary calories plus cholesterol, sodium and fat to your salad Adding deep-fried chicken strips or chunks of processed meats will turn your healthy salad into a unhealthy dishes. Keep your salad lean and mean by adding cooked chicken breast or a couple of grilled shrimp or a sprinkling of legumes. Remember a healthy protein source can transform a salad into a full-fledged balanced meal.
Salads Dressings
Salad Dressings — Dressing is a seasoned liquid or semi-fluid added to the body of a salad for flavour, tartness, spiciness and moistness. Salads are usually topped with salad dressing but sadly, most commercial dressings are high in calories and fat.
A single serving of salad dressing can provides a lot of calorie. Dressings are one of the quickest ways to undo the nutritional value of a healthy salad. That’s why Choosing dressings carefully and using it sparingly is very much important. It is very important to pay attention to the amount of dressing that add are adding. Dressings like cheese, Caesar, parmesan, or cream all fall under this category of dressings to avoid. Not only they are loaded with fat, but they also have high levels of sodium and very little nutritional value.
To squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on your salad is very much healthy. Or you can try balsamic vinegar along with a little heart-healthy olive oil, Rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar is just two of many great low-fat salad dressing choices.
Salads Croutons : Croutons are an easy way to ruin your salad by adding refined carbohydrates. Don’t add much nutritional value, but they can add a lot of calories, add the wrong toppings to a salad and you can double or even triple the calorie count. Sesame sticks, crispy noodles and croutons are salty and crunchy but conceal lot of hidden fat. So if you like a few crunchy toppings do this instead — add a tablespoon or two of chopped walnuts or flax seeds. Nuts can deliver that crunch that people look for in croutons. They’ve got Omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and various nutrients that are good for your health. Stick to dry-roasted nuts to save on calories. Add nuts as a light topping – don’t overdo it.
Load your salads with fresh colorful vegetables and take advantage of salads. Choose a variety of colors to get the most health benefits – red bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, and red onions are all great choices. Adding fresh herbs to your salad can also go a long way toward improving your nutrition, as many are densely packed with vitamins and various phytonutrients. Whether you’re adopting a healthier lifestyle, salads can be either your best friend or your worst enemy.
Although they seem innocent enough but salads can quickly turn an unhealthy option because of your wrong ingredients selection.
But if you make smart choices, you can build a healthy salad that’s not only tasty but healthy. Limit your usage to one and a half tablespoons for an entrée salad and one tablespoon for a side salad. Whenever possible, choose light, low-calorie, or low-fat options. You can also make your own light vinaigrette using one part oil and three parts vinegar with some mustard, lemon, 100 per cent fruit juice or spices for added flavour. n

(Tamanna Chowdhury is working as Principal Dietician at Apollo Hospitals Dhaka)

block