Building a healthy salad?
Start with the greens:
Salad greens are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Power-packed greens: spinach, romaine lettuce and watercress.
Add in the veggies:
Each colour family of vegetables provides different nutrients, so it's good to include a variety of vegetables in your salad.
Pack on the fruit:
Mixing in fruit is a great way to add colour, taste and texture. And fruits also add lots of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Fruits to toss in: pineapple chunks, apples, pears, oranges and grapes.
Pile on the protein:
Protein-packed favourites: kidney beans, tofu, lean ham, turkey or chicken strips and canned tuna in spring water.
Go nuts for nuts:
Even though nuts are high in fat, they contain mostly heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated fat.
Try these crunchy toppings: flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and toasted walnuts.
But beware of unhealthy, hidden fats:
You don't have to avoid all fats, but there are salad toppings out there that are filled with saturated fat. Go easy on the croutons, bacon and fried tortilla chips.
Finally, dress for success:
Some dressings can significantly increase the fat and calorie content of an otherwise healthy salad. That's why it's important to choose your dressing wisely.
For regular salad dressing: limit the amount used to 2 tablespoons, which will add about 150 calories and 15 grams of fat to the salad.
Wish-Bone has lots of great-tasting, low-fat and fat-free dressings to choose from. Choosing a dressing you'll love is one of the best ways to make your salad truly superior.
