Salads are a tasty part of healthy eating. But just because it has vegetables, doesn’t mean that it is healthy. The way you prepare a salad can make or break its nutritional value. Want to make sure you’re doing it the right way? Avoid these seven salad mistakes.
7 Common Salad Mistakes
1. Avoiding Fat
Yes, you read that right! Fat is an important part of any salad. It can actually help your body absorb the antioxidants from the salad’s veggies. This means that fat-free dressings may work against you.1 It comes down to the type of fat that you add. Try tossing healthy fats like nuts and avocados into your salad. A dash of olive oil can also do the trick.
2. Adding Too Much Fat
On the other hand, too much fat can be just as bad. This can turn your salad into a high-calorie meal, which is not what you want! So try to avoid creamy salad dressings and piles of cheese. Use vinegar-based dressings or make your own. Stick to a small sprinkling of low-fat cheese. It will be just enough to please your taste buds.
3. Missing Veggie Variety
A salad can be pretty boring if there’s not much variety. Keep it fun by using a rainbow of veggies. Think about everything from red tomatoes and orange carrots to yellow peppers and green spinach. This way, you can treat your body to a healthy assortment of vitamins and minerals.
4. Forgetting The Protein
Proteins are often called the “building blocks” of the body. Your cells need them in order to function.2 Eating enough protein also increases satiety, making it useful in salad. So don’t skip it! Choose high-protein foods like salmon, lean chicken, or legumes.3
5. Adding Too Much Protein
Eating too much protein is also bad news, though. Excessive protein intake can lead to kidney problems, cancer, kidney stones, and osteoporosis. To avoid this, be mindful of the meat and dairy that you add to salads. You can also replace animal products with protein-rich legumes and grains.4
6. Buying Pre-Cut Vegetables
Pre-cut bagged veggies may be convenient, but they’re not fresh. They can also be more expensive, thanks to the extra work that goes into cutting them. Plus, these vegetables are also washed before bagging – who knows what chemicals were used?[ref[Do You Buy Pre-Cut, Bagged Vegetables — Are They Just as Nutritious?]( https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/03/do-you-buy-pre-cut-bagged-vegetables-are-they-just-as-nutritious/ “Do You Buy Pre-Cut, Bagged Vegetables — Are They Just as Nutritious?“),Cleveland Clinic[/ref] Instead, you can just do this at home in your own kitchen.
7. Adding Dressing Too Soon
After washing vegetables, let them dry before pouring the dressing. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a soggy salad. And if you’re taking a salad to work or school? Store your dressing in a separate container. Don’t add it until you are ready to eat.
Making salads aren’t rocket science. But you also need to pay attention to the details. By keeping these rules in mind, you can make the best salad possible.
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