Seafood is naturally low in saturated fats, with some fish providing high amounts of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. The Mayo Clinic and other health organizations suggest adding seafood to your diet because of its beneficial effect on lowering bad cholesterol levels and raising high-density lipoprotein levels, also called the "good" cholesterol. Add seafood to salads and reduce the fat and cholesterol levels of dressing and binding for nutritious lunch and dinner entrees.
Salmon Caesar Salad
Take a classic Caesar salad, eliminate the saturated fats in the dressing and add healthy Omega-3 fatty acids with salmon.
For your dressing, use fat-free mayonnaise or yogurt and extra virgin olive oil. This replaces saturated fats and replaces them with monounsaturated fats. For flavor, add ingredients like red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic and pepper.
A traditional Caesar includes parmesan cheese, which you can eliminate or replace with a low-fat substitute. Use whole-wheat croutons rather than those made from white bread for more nutrition. Use Romaine lettuce to keep the salad identifiable as a Caesar. Add other vegetables and nuts or seeds to add more flavor, crunch and nutrition.
Place strips of cooked salmon that you have baked, grilled or poached on the salad after you have dressed the lettuce and any vegetables and topped it with cheese.
Curried Tuna Salad
A traditional mayonnaise-based salad, this family favorite features another fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
Prepare your tuna by emptying the oil from the can (if you are not using fresh). Look for unsalted tuna when you buy canned. Toss the tuna in a small amount of lemon juice to decrease the fish smell.
Replace regular mayonnaise in your tuna salad with fat-free mayo and mix in with the tuna. Mayo-based salads like egg, ham, chicken and tuna often rely on the sweetness and fat of the mayonnaise for flavor and moistness, but be careful not to drown your tuna in mayo, even if it's fat free.
You'll lose the flavor when you eliminate the fat, so add more zip to your salad with curry powder. While many people associate curry powder with heat, used in smaller quantities, it provides more body than heat to foods.
To add more nutrition to the salad, add celery and bell peppers. Add slivered almonds or sesame seeds for crunch and more nutrients. For sweetness, experiment with raisins, apples or grapes.
Latin Crab Salad Cups
Crab is a fat-free food that is lower in cholesterol than shrimp and a good source of Vitamin C. Serve crab in lettuce cups to turn a sandwich into a healthier entrée.
Prepare your crab by lightly tossing in lime juice, then binding with mayonnaise and crushed sodium-free crackers or corn flakes. Add diced vegetables like carrots, celery, bell pepper or onion in quantities that don't overwhelm the crab---the lettuce cups will provide much of the vegetable content of each bite, and you'll want to be able to taste the crab.
Season the crab/cracker/mayo mixture with cilantro, which, in combination with the lime juice, creates a South-of-the-border flavor. Add chili powder if you like heat. Serve it in large iceberg lettuce leafs, which can hold at least two tablespoons of the crab mixture.
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