Better Salads

In my recent quest for healthier eating, I've been eating lots of salads. In some ways, I think I"ve become a tasty and healthy salad expert. But I do not want to hoard these ideas, so I will share them with you. Here are a few ideas about how to make your salad better for you, and tastier:

1. Use spinach instead of iceberg lettuce. Since it's bagged, you can just put it right into the bowl, making salads more convenient. Spinach is so much healthier than regular lettuce I just don't see the point in buying the other anymore. It's full of vitamins A and C, and also has some Calcium and iron. Popeye was no fool.

2. Add some nuts. First of all, the crunch makes a pleasant addition. Second, they are tasty. And third, they are full of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are the good fats that can help improve cholesterol and are good for the brain.

3. There are tons of very flavorful, low- and non-fat dressings out there. Branch out from the usual ranch or italian. This makes the salad more exciting, which helps it compete with things I sometimes would rather eat, like french fries or homemade biscuits.

4. Add some cottage cheese. I have never been a big fan of cottage cheese. I used to always think it was gross. But a few spoonfuls in a salad are awesome. It doesn't have an overwhelming flavor, but adds tons of protein and also some calcium. And nonfat cottage cheese is low in calories. Plus, you'll be eating "curds and whey" as it used to be called, and any food found in a nursery rhyme seems good to me.

Go here for more tips.

Comments

Sarah @ Ordinary Days said…
I'm a salad lover, too. But I had never thought of adding cottage cheese, which I already love. What a great idea!
12:58 PM
Melanie said…
I made a great salad discovery last night ... in an attempt to cut fat (from my diet and myself), I bought fat free italian dressing. Cheap, but Yuck. Especially compared to the homemade oil & vinegar goodness that I'm used to. BUT, I added some balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and ground pepper and it was tasty and about 150 fewer calories than my usual homemade stuff.
3:55 PM
It's a Mom Thing said…
Craisins are really good in a salad, too.
4:20 PM
Aubrey said…
I do love craisins in my salads. And avocado. Mel - I recently tried this awesome ginger dressing from the grocery store. It was one of those "fancy" dressings that come in smaller bottles and are somewhat more expensive, but it was so worth it. It tasted like the dressing at the japanese steak house, and it only had about 40 calories per serving. Yummy.
4:33 PM
Main Street Mom said…
Here is a recipe that my "man clan" absolutely loves! You mentioned the ginger dressing that is like that from the Japanese Restaurants. Hope you like this! http://mainstreetmomcooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/yummy-ginger-salad-dressing.html
1:01 AM
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