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Salad. It seems like a good decision, doesn't it? Sometimes salad can seem like a fortuitous nutritional decision but actually turn out to be a huge mistake. Don't believe me? Here are a few examples..
- T.G.I. Friday’s Santa Fe Chopped Salad has 1,800 calories (MSNBC).
- Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad has 1,310 calories, 93 grams of fat, and 1,470 milligrams of sodium (MSNBC).
- California Pizza Kitchen's Waldorf Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing has 1,570 calories, 30 g saturated fat, and 2,082 mg sodium (MSNBC).
On your way to a dinner date? Here are some salad-ordering tips:
- Mexican Themed Salads = bad. They're usually loaded with thinly cut tortilla chips (bad), lots of fat-saturated meat (bad), and an abundance of cheeses (also bad).
- Creamy Dressings = bad. As far as dressing goes, if you can't see through it, it's bad. That's a good rule of thumb to keep you away from heavily cream or mayonnaise/fat based dressings. Steer clear of Blue Cheese, Ranch, and Thousand Island. Head, instead, for vinaigrettes - my favorite is balsamic vinaigrette.
- No Croutons! They seem harmless but are actually tiny little packages of carbs and calories.
- Similarly, stay away from tortilla crisps, crispy noodles, etc. Anything bread-related (even bread cousins like noodles and chips) should NOT be on your salad.
Here's my improvised version...
What You Need:
- Spinach (Mixed greens in these pictures, but I prefer spinach)
- Strawberries (Cut into thin rings)
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Feta cheese
- Sliced almonds or pine nuts
- Dressing: Balsalmic Vinaigrette
How You Do It:
- Alright, salads are pretty much just about throwing stuff on a plate, right? So... do that!
Here are some links for further reading:
This was a great post! I though the run down on what salads NOT to eat was really interesting. I always think "Salads = healthy" but that's clearly not the case! The recipe looks good, I'll have to try to it out!
ReplyDeleteAh man! But I love Mexican themed salads! This is a great post! I have so much to learn!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog. Now following!
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yay! I'm a nutrition major so I love this! It's so true! things you think are great really aren't. Sometimes things you think would be bad for you aren't as bad as you'd think! I like to look things up online before I go out to eat :)
ReplyDeleteOh wow! Um I definitely didn't realize some of this stuff like one of my favorite salads is the Mexican kind!!! Ahhh...I need to research what I eat more...great post an thanks for sharing! Also, thanks for following you are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAshley Sloan
Goodness, you might as well just eat a pizza at California Pizza Kitchen! Nice tips Carly!
ReplyDeletewow! this salad looks amazing! I LOVE feta so I really think I would like this! Thanks for sharing! Thank your for visiting and for your sweet comment on my blog! I love making new blog friends! I am your newest follower and would love it if you would follow me too! Thanks!
ReplyDelete-Nikki
http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/
I know, so crazy! I always used to assume salads were safe but half the time you might as well eat a big mac (or a pizza, Rhoda!).
ReplyDeleteThank you all for stopping by/ following :)
-Carly
Yum, that sounds so good. And I guess you could add basil leaf, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow that's a good idea - hadn't thought of that! :)
ReplyDelete-Carly
That salad looks delicious!!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so yummy! I will have to grab the stuff next time I run to the market.
ReplyDeleteNew follower from Party in Paris Friday Blog Hop.