National Nutrition Month: Salad Tips

Salads make a nutritious meal or side dish. But dressings and toppings can sometimes turn a healthy salad into a helping of calories and fat.

Here are some tips for getting the most nutrition from your salad, especially in a restaurant:

• Cut the fat. Ranch, bleu cheese, French and thousand island dressings have as many as 16 grams of fat and 150 calories in 2 tablespoons. Choose low-fat dressings; reduce the amount you use to a few teaspoons; create your own with lemon juice or vinegar and just a touch of olive oil. Also limit added cheese.
• Bacon is a favorite topping but contains a lot of fat. Lean proteins like turkey, chicken, crabmeat or tuna can add delicious flavor to a salad without a lot of fat. Beans like black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto and white beans are good sources of lean protein too.
• Pile on the veggies. Brightly colored vegetables are great sources of nutrients, fiber and phytonutrients. Broccoli, peppers, beets and carrots add flavor, texture and help fill you up.
• Sweeten it up. Oranges, apples and grapes add a sweet touch to a salad as well as vitamins and nutrients. But dried fruits like raisins and cranberries and candied nuts often boost added sugars, so use these sparingly.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions or omit certain ingredients when ordering a salad from a menu.