There’s a common misconception that salads are the way to leading a healthy lifestyle. Yes, lettuce is a vegetable, and your parents told you that vegetables are good for you. But you might be surprised to know that your salads contain less nutritional value than we all think they do.
**Note: I’m not here to convince you to stop eating salads! Instead, I’m going to let you in on some secrets to improving your leafy green meal.
For starters, lettuce is basically just water. Yup, really. The so-called vegetable is comprised of over 95% water, making it one of the five lowest-ranking foods in terms of nutrients per calories. Quick to follow are some of salad’s most popular ingredients: cucumbers and celery. In fact, your favourite crunchy iceberg lettuce doesn’t have any of the essential nutrients such as Vitamin D, E, K, all of the Vitamin B’s, nor any important minerals such as zinc or copper.
But water is good for you! Definitely, there’s no arguing that. If you’re dehydrated, I suppose you could nom on some lettuce. But in terms of getting your daily vitamins, your average salad won’t cut it.
On another note, you could potentially be consuming more calories in a restaurant salad than on other menu items such as sandwiches, wraps, or pastas. Restaurants are not concerned with the nutritional value of your food or the new diet you’re on (sorry to burst your bubble). Their mission is to serve you something delicious that you’ll enjoy and recommend to others… which often translates into creamy, covered in sugary dresses, and garnished with salty cold-cut meats.
If those facts don’t make you see that you’ve been doing salads wrong this whole time, then consider this: out of all the vegetables, lettuce is the leading source of food waste. We throw away over 1 billion pounds of uneaten lettuces every year.
To avoid all of these problems, the solution comes down to three things: use a variety of leafy greens, be experimental with ingredients, go easy on the dressing (and as a fourth, try not to buy a whole head of lettuce for the week because you’ll probably only end up throwing most of it out).
Some tips:
1. Protein: It’s good that you’re trying to make a balanced meal, but you want to use foods that are higher in protein and low in sodium.AVOID: cold cuts (i.e. ham, turkey, roast beef)INSTEAD TRY: grilled chicken slices, chickpeas, lentils, beans, tofu, or natural tuna
2. Texture: I get it. You want your salad to be crunchy and kind of fun to eat. But be aware of the fat and (again) sodium content in typical salad garnishes.AVOID: Croutons and baconINSTEAD TRY: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds or almonds
3. Lettuce: Ahh yes, the main event itself. As I noted before…AVOID: Iceberg lettuce (that literally contains only water)INSTEAD TRY: romaine lettuce, kale, spinach or cabbage (that have more vitamins)
4. Dressing: I know, I know. You typically use it to mask the taste of your bland, watery salad. But with your new pimped-out ingredients, you won’t need a ton of sugary dressing; it adds ridiculous amounts of calories to your salad.AVOID: Ranch, Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette (store-bought)INSTEAD TRY: lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar or homemade salad dressing
5. Sweetness: Do you have a sweet tooth me like me, even when eating salads?AVOID: caramelized onions, dried fruit, and fruity dressingsINSTEAD TRY: pomegranate seeds, mandarins, strawberries, apples, grapes, blueberries or blackberries (any fruit really)
6. Cheesy wonderfulness: Though it’s probably best to leave this food right out of your salad, if you must include cheese…AVOID: cubes of cheddarINSTEAD TRY: small amounts of goat cheese, feta, or fresh parmesan
7. Basic veggies: When shopping, colours are your best friend!AVOID: Cucumbers and celeryINSTEAD TRY: carrots, beets, avocado, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, edamame (for an Asian flare), bean sprouts, red onion, all colours of the pepper rainbow, sweet potato or olives (but go light)
I hope this is useful toward your next salad-making endeavours, but I also hope that I didn’t scare you off from eating them period. Tell us what you put in your salads by tweeting or commenting!
May delicious salads be ever in your favour.
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