Most of us believe that having any type of salad is healthy. But this is not always the case; it all depends on what you add to your salad. Check out these ingredients that may seem healthy, but really aren’t.
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Creamy Dressings
We all know that eating only vegetable tastes bland, but by adding creamy dressings like honey mustard, ranch, blue cheese, or chipotle your salad may no longer be a healthy option. This is because all of these dressings are high in fat and sodium. Instead, add a few tablespoons of olive oil, lemon, and balsamic vinegar.
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Croutons
Adding a few croutons to your salad is great, but overdoing it doesn’t make it any healthier than a double cheeseburger. They are high in calories and of little nutritional value. So to add some crunch, it’s best to replace croutons with walnuts or almonds.
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Cheese
Cheese has its health benefits, three to four servings of cheese a day will help you burn more fats when working out. But loading your salad with a pile of cheese will only add more fat to your belly. Instead, add only one or two teaspoons of it, or use a low – fat type of cheese like feta.
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Iceberg lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is well known for its crunch, but other than that it’s pretty low in flavor and high in water content, which will cause you to feel bloated. So, It’s better to keep your salad healthier by adding darker leafy greens such as spinach, romaine lettuce, arugula, and basil.
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Starchy Vegetables
We always tend to dress our salad with corn and beans, but what we don’t know is that they are not that healthy when cooked. Starchy vegetables turn into sugar after cooking, resulting in higher blood sugar levels. Instead, try to add bell pepper slices or edamame.
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Olives
Olives are high in sodium due to their pickling process, which uses a lot of salts. One olive could contain enough salt to fulfill your daily need of sodium, so be cautious when it comes to olives.
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Dried Fruit
Dried fruits may seem like a healthy choice when it comes to salads, but they’re loaded with sugar and calories, which will ruin your diet. Another alternative for sweet cravings is fresh fruit such as strawberries, apple slices, and blueberries, oranges or sliced grapes.
