While you may associate losing weight with salads, whether salads help or hinder your weight-loss goals depends on what you include in your salads and what other foods you eat. You don't have to try to live on just lettuce, but you don't want to load your salads down with lots of high-fat extras either.
Salads Before Meals
Eating a large, low-calorie salad before you eat your meal can help to fill you up and result in you eating fewer calories overall during the meal, according to studies conducted by "Consumer Reports" in 2007 and Pennsylvania State University in 2006. Salads help to lower your meal's calories the most if you consume them about 20 minutes before the rest of your meal, the Penn State study found.
Ingredients to Include
Salads should consist mainly of nonstarchy vegetables, since these are bulky but low in calories. If you are making a meal of your salad, include some protein and healthy unsaturated fat sources as well to fill you up. Good options include a small amount of avocado or nuts and seeds; 1 to 2 tbsp. of olive oil-based dressing; lean protein such as beans, grilled chicken or fish; Parmesan cheese; and olives. Adding fresh or dried fruit, flowers and herbs to your salad can give it more flavor and add variety and nutrients.
Ingredients to Limit
Eating a high-fat, high-calorie salad can increase your caloric intake. Don't load your salad down with lots of regular salad dressing, cheese, and fried or processed meats. Salads with ingredients like this can actually be higher in calories than other menu items at restaurants, making them poor choices for you if you are on a diet.
Considerations
Adding salads to your diet while continuing to eat just as much of the high-fat and high-calorie foods you normally eat won't help with weight loss. You need to use salads to replace more calorie-dense foods if you want to lose weight. However, you also don't want to eat just low-calorie salads, since this is likely to leave you hungry and rushing out for a high-calorie snack. Include all four food groups in your salad if you are making a meal of it to make the salad healthier and more satisfying.
References
- "The Vancouver Sun"; Eating Salads a Recipe for Weight-Loss Failure; Amy O'Brian; July 2009
- MSNBC.com; Stuffed After the Salad? Load Up to Lose Weight; Karen Collins, R.D.; August 2006
- Reuters; Soup or Salad Before a Meal Helps Weight Loss: Study; May 2007
- American Dietetic Association; Healthy Salads; Linda Formichelli
- University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County; 12 Tasty Salad Toppers; Alice Henneman, M.S.
Member Comments