Making a salad is one of the easiest way to start off eating healthy. Most people may eat a simple salad with just lettuce and a few tomatoes, while other may add a bit of fruit or small pieces of bacon for a different texture. The leafy greens, from kale to arugula, are packed with tons of nutrients and are low in calories. Although salads can be good for you, it’s what you put on top of the salad that can add the extra calories and fats which reverses the healthiness of the food.
Salad dressings are one of the main culprits that can added on the extra fat and calories that not many people would think about. Salad dressing also has extra sugar and salt which makes the health meter dwindle down even further. So what salad dressings should you avoid or at least use less of on your salad?
Unhealthy Salad Dressings
We will say that some fat in your food can be good for you, yet you have to know what type of fat is the correct one. Monounsaturated fats are great for you body because this type of fat helps your body to absorb the nutrients and minerals from the vegetables in your salad, according to a Purdue University study. There is a saying that a little goes a long way and with salad dressing that hold true. About 3 grams of monounsaturated fats is good to have in your daily diet and although dressings do have this particular fats, there is just too much that one may put on their salads. For instance, in a 2 tablespoon packet of salad dressing that you may receive from a fast food restaurant, it contains 12 grams of fat and 120 calories. That’s pretty much triple of the fat that you actually need.
Don’t be Fooled by the Low-fat Dressings
Of course low-fat and low-calorie dressings seems like the best choice, yet to be these types of “light” dressings, but according to Nutritionist Keri Glassman, there is more being put in then taken out. More sodium and sugar such as high-fructose corn syrup. These salad dressings are not always the best alternative to the regular salad dressings that most people would usually grab.
Healthy Salad Dressings
The best salad dressings to go with to keep your salad healthy as possible is to choose an olive-oil based vinaigrette. This can be either when you are dining out or purchasing a dressing from a grocery store. Use only about one teaspoon of the vinaigrette for your entire salad. Checking the nutrition label is your best way to determine which salad dressings are healthier. Also go with ones that have the shortest list of recognizable ingredients or if you prefer, make your very own salad dressings.
Tips to Make Your Salad Even Healthier
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