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Keep Your Salads Healthy!
When you order a salad instead of a burger, you automatically feel like you’re making the healthier choice. You’re thinking, they’re filled with vegetables, what could go wrong? Actually, a salad has a lot of potential to be as unhealthy as that burger you are dreaming of eating. Each salad topping can make or break the nutritional value. To make sure you aren’t adding as many calories as that burger, consider the tips below to keep your salads healthy!
Fried or Grilled?
Love adding chicken or shrimp on your salads for a little protein kick? Great, just make sure they aren’t fried! While the extra crunch may be nice, there are plenty of other ways you can add that bite into your salad. Try adding almonds, apples or toasted quinoa to satisfy your crunchy needs. Remember, you don’t have to get rid of the chicken, fish or other hearty food all together. They are packed with protein, which helps you feel full longer! Looking for a new recipe packed with protein? This grilled chicken salad recipe is one of our favorites!
Toppings
While glazed nuts, cheese or croutons can help transform a bland salad into a magnificent piece of art, these toppings can easily add up against you. They may give some additional nutritional value, but they can also add some extra calories you weren’t expecting or wanting.
So next time you make a salad, ditch the tortilla chips and glazed nuts. Replace them with fresh fruits or dry, roasted nuts to make a heartier and healthier salad. Other vegetables are great toppings too! Add color to your plate [link to Color Your Plate blog post] the right way with vegetables like carrots, peppers and beets. They can boost your salads with extra nutrition, color and texture!
Creamy Dressings
Most of us can admit (with guilt or not) that creamy dressings make a salad more crave-worthy. Ranch, thousand island and blue cheese salad dressings are favorites among many. But spoiler alert (yes, this upsets us too): these dressings are loaded with calories, sugars and unhealthy saturated fats. The unfortunate truth is out: Many creamy dressings can make your salad unhealthy in a matter of seconds. But fear not! There are alternatives to keep the creaminess and still be healthy. Try making your own salad dressing using Greek yogurt, hummus or avocado. These tasty, thicker bases are loaded with healthy fats and proteins. Looking for a homemade creamy dressing? Try this avocado dressing recipe.
So just remember, when you’re picking out a salad in an effort to maintain your healthy lifestyle, make sure you’re actually making it healthy. If your salad carries just as many calories as the burger you were salivating over, it may be time to change it up. Keep salads filled with dark leafy greens, colorful fruits and vegetables, and use lower calorie dressings. This will keep your salads delicious, and most importantly, nutritious! What are your favorite healthy salad recipes? Share with us in the comments below!
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/7-ways-to-ruin-salads#slide=1
http://www.today.com/food/how-order-healthy-salad-8-smart-tips-what-eat-what-t44861
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http://www.popsugar.com/food/Avocado-Dressing-Recipe-37273847
