Some Expensive Salads are not Always worth the Hype

Eating healthy outside your home often comes with its own cost. It is becoming common to see a salad on the restaurant menu priced hefty these days. Healthy wholesome salads are gaining immense popularity as they are easy to eat at work and are mostly packed with the fresh vegetables, whole grains and lean protein which make it a complete meal without going overboard with calories. Various healthy food chains claim salads to be low calorie and more nutritious and hence attracts individuals with a pressing need to eat better. 

However, lots of what passes for salad in restaurants or healthy food chains is just the same as the rest of the calorie-dense food that’s making us fat, but with a few lettuce leaves and fancy ingredients tossed in. A chicken Caesar salad at any restaurant is loaded with croutons and cheese and may contain up to 800 calories and 70 grams of fat. The dressings and toppings make the difference when it comes to salad calories. If you’re going to pile on the croutons, creamy dressing, cheese, bacon, avocado, mayonnaise-rich prepared salads (like coleslaw), meat, nuts and fried chicken strips, you might as well order a cheese burst pizza with coke.

For a lower-calorie salad, dress with a tablespoon or two of light vinaigrette or salsa, or a flavourful vinegar (like balsamic) along with extra virgin olive oil which contains healthy fats. If you love creamy dressing, try hung curd as an alternative to cheese or cream. On the other hand, using colourful seasonal vegetables, fruits or mixed greens like spinach, cabbage, broccoli and bell peppers along with carrots, baby tomatoes, beans and grilled chicken, fish or any protein and dressed with healthy ingredients makes a perfect bowl of salad.

Moreover, making a salad at home is much cheaper than buying a salad from outside. While making a salad at home requires a little planning in terms of grocery shopping, it also gives you a chance to keep a check on the ingredients going in and the calories that you will be consuming. You don’t need fancy ingredients like avocado, kale, blueberries or raspberries, goat or feta cheese, super foods like goji berries to make a salad healthy. These ingredients are not only expensive but are also not easily accessible. Instead of fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts and proteins such as cottage cheese, chicken, eggs from a local market. Locally available ingredients are not only cheaper but also retain nutrients better than fancy ingredients which need to be exported and stored and affects their nutritional content.  

Over to you

Use quality ingredients like complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats to make a wholesome salad. Vegetables form the base of a salad, use greens like spinach, different types of lettuce, coriander and mint leaves for their antioxidant benefits, colourful seasonal vegetables like beetroot, bell peppers, pumpkin, carrot, tomatoes, nuts and seeds for their healthy fats and bright fruits like figs, berries, citrus for the phytonutrients.

These tips will help to create a delicious salad that is satisfying, low in calories, high in fibre, and full of nutrients. If you want to order a salad, check with the restaurant to see which of their salads and salad dressings is healthier or make smart choices keeping in mind the above-mentioned tips.