Salad bars, whether as a dining out option or a takeout choice at the
supermarket can be a great option for those watching their weight or a calorie
laden minefield! Although a great deal
of the offerings are nutrient rich and low calorie fruits and vegetables, it
doesn’t take much to make an otherwise healthy salad contain the caloric and
fat equivalent of a cheeseburger and fries. Let’s review some pointers to make sure your trips to the salad bar
don’t sideline your weight management progress.
First and foremost, like with
doing grocery shopping, if you are overly hungry walking the salad bar line,
everything will look especially good and your serving sizes of calorie laden
offerings are more likely to be oversized. Stick with the weight management survival skill of eating regular meals
and snacks to keep your appetite under control. As you approach the salad bar, the initial offerings usually include
lettuce greens of different varieties. Go
with the darkest and brightest greens that you see for the best nutritional
value. However, often as opposed to
“naked lettuce”, which offers less than 10 calories per cup, there may
pre-dressed greens such as oriental or Caesar salads already prepared at the start of the line. The addition of dressings, fried noodles,
cheese and croutons can make the calorie, fat and sodium count skyrocket even
before you add any other ingredients! So
stay with the undressed lettuce and if you would like to eat some of the other
salads, use them in small portions instead of the “base” of your salads.
Be generous with adding
plenty of fresh, plain, raw vegetables to your salad such as shredded carrots,
radishes and cabbage, as well as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and
mushrooms. These items add fiber,
potassium, vitamin C, folic acid and many other nutrients with very little
calories relative to their serving size. Be sure to minimize any vegetables that are tossed with mayonnaise,
marinades or other sauces and dressings. You may also find canned or thawed frozen vegetables such as peas and
corn, which add more fiber, potassium and other nutrients. Garbanzo and kidney beans are other fine
additions, providing protein, iron and complex carbohydrates which make your
salad more satisfying. Beets, olives,
pickles and artichoke hearts, as healthful as they are, may add a significant
amount of sodium to your meal. Olives
and oil-packed artichoke hearts also boost up calorie content because of their
high content of fat. Seeds and nuts, such
as sunflower seeds add protein and heart healthy fats, but portion control is
important because of their high caloric density. Remember, there is still the salad dressing
to consider!
Toppings such as fried
noodles, croutons, cheese and other items can quickly double or triple the
calories in your salad along with the addition of dressings. Use a few low fat croutons if you like, and stay with a small serving of a
vinaigrette style dressing. Creamy
dressings such as ranch or bleu cheese are very easy to over-do. Preferably,
place the dressing in a side cup and pour small amounts on your salad as you
need it for more control over your portions.
After you settle in with your
salad, there may be offerings such as breads, soups, pasta and desserts which
might be quite tempting. Stay with broth –based clear soups ( instead of creamy
types), choose whole grain breads and look past the pizza, pasta and other high
fat/high sodium items. Fresh fruit for
dessert is always the perfect choice. As
with any buffet, salad bars can work to one’s advantage in managing weight, but
it can also be a dieting disaster! Be
prepared, think your choices through and you will be able to relax and enjoy a
delicious and healthful meal.