Salads can be a healthy and filling addition to your diet. Many salads contain several servings of fresh vegetables on one plate and include toppings that contain protein and heart-healthy fats. According to Linda Page, author of "Cooking for Healthy Healing: Book Two: The Healing Recipes," the most nutrient-dense salads will contain several different kinds of vegetables or fruits. The combinations of salads are limitless, Page adds, and as long as you focus on nutritious ingredients, a salad is a healthy addition to any diet.
Garden Salad
A garden salad typically contains several kinds of vegetables layered on a bed of leafy greens. Leafy greens should be the foundation of your salad, notes Page, because they are low in calories and contain several important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A and iron. A garden salad can have any combination of vegetables you like. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers are common additions. Other vegetables, such as zucchini, radishes, celery and carrots will enhance the nutrition of your garden salad. Page notes that additions such as croutons, bacon bits and salad dressing will decrease the nutrition of your salad, so pass entirely or use sparingly so your body still the reaps the benefits of the nutrients from the vegetables.
Spinach and Fruit Salad
Page recommends leafy greens, such as spinach, as the base of a nutrient-dense salad. Adding fruit will increase the variety of nutrients you consume and will provide new flavors. Berries, such as strawberries or blackberries, go well with spinach. Citrus fruits, such as grapefruit or orange segments, are another nutrient-dense fruit that pairs well with spinach. Try adding several different colors of fruit to complement the spinach and you will increase the vitamins and minerals your salad contains. A handful of sliced almonds or walnuts will add heart-healthy fats and a small amount of protein, as well as enhancing the flavor and texture of the salad.
Chicken Salad
A bed of greens and vegetables topped with a few slices of grilled chicken is another nutritious way to enjoy a salad. The greens and vegetables provide several nutrients important for good health and the chicken will supply a healthy dose of protein. According to Louis J. Aronne and Alisa Bowman, authors of "The Skinny: On Losing Weight Without Being Hungry," adding lean protein to your salad will help keep you from eating too much meat and not enough vegetables. The other salad ingredients will fill you up so you are not hungry for the more calorie-dense foods, such as chicken. Lean beef can replace chicken in your salad for a different taste.
References
- "Cooking for Healthy Healing: Book Two: The Healing Recipes"; Linda Page; 2002
- "The Skinny: On Losing Weight Without Being Hungry"; Louis J. Aronne and Alisa Bowman; 2009
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