Live Healthy Live Well

Salads aren’t always diet food . . . the salad bar, where croutons and creamy dressings are abundant, can be a dietary minefield.  However, if you choose the rights ingredients, a salad can make a perfect meal.  Salads don’t have to be boring!  Salads can be an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  Dress up an everyday salad with mixed greens; they will add texture and flavor and you’ll save money buying whole heads instead of pre-packaged bags.

Greens – Choose arugula, butter leaf lettuce, chicory, spinach, romaine, or watercress for the best nutritional value.

Spinach is your best choice.  It contains antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for healthy vision, beta-carotene to prevent cancer and vitamin C to prevent bruising.

Fruits and Vegetables – Choose beets, red/yellow/orange peppers, red cabbage, broccoli flowerets, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, cranberries, tangerines, strawberries, apples, jicama, and red grapes.

Tomatoes contain lycopene, which may help prevent prostate cancer and reduce your risk of heart-disease, and Vitamin C which lowers blood pressure.

Flavorful Topping Extras – Choose 1 tablespoon chopped almonds or walnuts, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, 1/8 avocado or 1 tablespoon chopped olives. (Use cautions with flavorful extras – choose just one, because these toppings can add considerable calories and fat.)

Nuts are packed with protein, fiber and healthy unsaturated fats that may reduce your risk of heart disease.

Dressings – Low-fat dressings with 100 calories or less per 2-tablespoon serving.  Try to keep fat less than 6 grams per serving, but this is tough with creamy varieties – if you can’t, just use a little less.

Protein – Choose 3 ounces grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon; 3-ounces turkey breast, tofu, egg whites or water-packed tuna; or 1 cup lentils, garbanzo or black beans.

Here are some of the worst choices at the salad bar, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.  Remember to use caution.

Bacon Bits – 64 calories, 3 grams of fat per ounce

Blue Cheese – 100 calories, 8 grams of fat per ounce

Croutons – 93 calories, 4 grams of fat per ounce

Honey-Roasted Pecans – 202 calories, 21 grams of fat per ounce

Ranch Dressing – 73 calories, 8 grams of fat per tablespoon

Sunflower Seeds – 165 calories, 14.1 grams of fat per 1 oz.

Potato Salad – 179 calories, 11 grams of fat per ½ cup serving

Macaroni Salad – 232 calories, 9.6 grams of fat per ½ cup serving

As you experiment with building a better salad, here’s a healthy, nutritious Strawberry Arugula salad recipe for you to try.

Strawberry Arugula Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups      torn fresh arugula or baby spinach
• 3/4 cup quartered fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 2      tablespoons chopped red onion
• 2      tablespoons olive oil
• 1      tablespoon thawed orange juice concentrate
• 1      tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2      teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/8      teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

• In a salad bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, orange juice concentrate, vinegar, orange peel and ginger. Pour over salad; toss gently to coat. Yield: 2 servings.

Nutritional Facts –  1 ¼ cups equals 295 calories, 25 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 199 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 7 g protein.

Originally published as Strawberry Arugula Salad in Cooking for 2 Spring 2009, p56

Enjoy!

Writer:  Cindy Shuster, CFLE, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension, Perry County or http://perry.osu.edu.