Should I eat that? Salads

This week I’m going to write about items to eat. Sort of like the Men Health’s book that is out there, Eat This Not That except my take is going to be different in that I’m not giving you options where one is better than the other.

Let’s start with the two most popular salads that you will find in most restaurants in America, Caesar salad and Cobb salads. Both are perceived to be healthy and we all know that 1) salads can fill you up quickly thanks to the leafy greens they pack and 2) dressing can increase or decrease your caloric intake based on whether it is on the side or not. So what does one do when faced with a choice of ordering one of these, which should you go with?

I typically consider the restaurant that I’m at and decide based on that. For example, if the salad is coming is a side salad with dressing on the side then either is a good option but if it is coming as the main meal that’s where things get tricky. Cobb salads using coming with bacon, blue cheese, ranch dressing, and maybe grilled chicken. This sounds great because you are getting in fat, protein, and carbs but you’re all getting in a lot of calories that you don’t need. To make it healthier, go for the turkey bacon, mozzarella cheese, or balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Add a avocado to it and you have now reduced your calories while still having a complete meal. Caesar salads are always a favorite with dieters because it is so few ingredients but even Caesar dressing, cheese, grilled chicken and croutons, the caloric intake can be high. To make it healthier, see if you can get kale substituted instead of iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce. Try peanuts or roasted chickpeas in place of croutons or even modify your dressing with Greek based yogurt ones.

Simple substitutions at home or while out can make eating a salad actually healthy!