BUILDING BETTER SALADS Biggest Health Challenge Presentation
Health Food Perception Salads are often thought of as health food This can be a misconception: Applebee s Oriental Chicken Salad, Regular 1390 calories 98g fat Grilled Chicken Caesar, Regular 820 calories 57g fat TGI-Friday s Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad 1080 calories and 71g fat Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad (dressing not included) 580 calories 34g fat
Fast Food Salads McDonalds Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken 450 calories & 21g fat (without dressing) Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled chicken 290 calories & 8g fat (without dressing) Culvers Cranberry Bacon Bleu Salad with Grilled Chicken 360 calories & 12g fat (without dressing) Raspberry Vinaigrette= 45 calories & 0 fat (4 TBSP) Ranch= 230 calories & 24g fat (4 TBSP)
Salads Can Be Healthy! The Research Those who ate salad, raw vegetables and dressing have higher intake of Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin C Folate Help reach your FIVE fruits and vegetables a day Filling and can be low calorie
Where We Go Wrong Salads can take a turn for the worst when we add Too much fat Too much salt And Too much sugar Watch the extras: crunchy toppers like croutons, crispy noodles, seeds & nuts and bacon bits can add a lot of calories
Lets Look at Building A Better Salad Ingredients make the difference
Types of lettuce Low in nutrients: Iceberg Good source of nutrients: Romaine Leaf Butterhead Spring Mix
Want to add more nutrients?! Fill lettuce with Spinach Cabbage Kale Arugula
Toppings Fruits and vegetables are good choices: Vegetables Asparagus, beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, olives, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini Fruit Figs, raisins, apples, pears, citrus, berries, mandarin oranges These foods are low to moderate in calories. Few exceptions such as avocados and olives. Also provide fiber to your diet.
Toppings Protein Chicken, turkey, fish, beef, pork, eggs and cheese or cottage cheese Beans, soy, legumes, nuts and seeds, meat alternatives such tofu This ingredient should be eaten in smaller portionsabout ½ cup or 4 ounces. Look for lean meats or reduced fat cheese.
Dressing Portion Distortion Most serving sizes are 2 TBSP s A great deal of a salads calories can come from dressing Vinaigrettes Thinner so you can use less to cover more Reduced fat/calorie Get your dressing on the side instead of on your salad for better control of the amount eaten
Make Own Dressing Benefits Control Helps control the amount of fat, sugar and sodium Simple and fun: be creative and experiment! Storage Home made dressing can usually be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Make Your Own Dressing What is needed? Oil: Olive Oil is common but you can also use roasted nut oils, canola oil, sunflower oil, mayo etc Vinegar or Citrus (or both): Balsamic is a popular choice, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, lemon or lime juice, pomegranate or orange juice etc. Add-in s: Mustard, chives, herbs, garlic, shallots, anchovies or capers, honey, feta etc Ratio: Oil to vinegar is about 3:1 depending on taste
DIY Dressing Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette makes around 2 cups Needed: 6 ounces olive oil, 3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, juice from 1 lime Mix all ingredients together and drizzle on your favorite salad. Store in a sealable jar or other container and keep in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.
DIY Dressing Simple Vinaigrette Ingredients 1 whole clove garlic, peeled 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon honey 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Directions Smash the garlic clove with the back of a knife. Add garlic to the other ingredients in a jar or other airtight container. Cover, shake well and serve. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Nutrition analysis per serving: Calories: 80; Total fat: 9g; Saturated fat: 1g; Carbohydrate: 1g; Protein: 0g; Sodium: 25mg Foodnetwork.com
When you don t have time to DIY When shopping for salad dressing be sure to read the nutrition facts panel. Consider the following when making your selection: Fat content: Look for low fat or fat free options but also check the amount of sugar. Sugar content: Sometimes used to add flavor when fat is removed. Sodium Content: Processed foods are higher in sodium, watch the amount of sodium in your dressing. Sodium intake should be less than 1 teaspoon per day and if you have health problem or are over 51 years of age it s even less.
Now Lets Make a Salad!!!