Monday, May 14, 2018

How To Make Your Summer Salads More Nutritious For Summer 2018

In summer we tend to eat more cold dishes like salads because they can be refreshing, and also pair well with other summer staple foods like barbecued meat. This should mean that it is easier to stick to a healthy diet rich in vegetables. However, quite often we make salads that are perhaps not as nutritious as we might think they are.

Salads can often be covered in dressings that add a lot of unhealthy empty calories, and simple green salads may be good for weight loss but don't really offer any particular nutritional value, as the calorie content and nutrient content is so low where things like lettuce are mostly just water. Here are some tips for enhancing your salads and making them more nutritional this summer. For some great salad inspiration check out Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice - click this link to view site.

Be Mindful of Your Dressings!

Whether you typically make your own dressings or buy them from the store, you should be aware of what is in them. Oil-based dressings are not necessarily a bad thing but be aware of how many calories they can add. This is especially important if you are trying to lose weight. If weight loss is not a concern, then look for healthy fats from things like olive oil to include in your salad dressings rather than going for very fatty dressings that do not provide the same nutritional benefits. If you want your dressings to be lower in fat, then simple vinegar-based dressings can be the best option. You can also try having your salad without a liquid dressing and using sprinkles of herbs or spices to add flavor instead.


Add Some Healthy Proteins

A vegetable salad by itself is fine as a side dish, but it does not really make for a complete nutritional meal. If you are planning to have the salad as your main course, it is important to add some protein to it. Lean meat is a good way to do this, for example, adding some chicken or some lean ham. You can also add things like tuna or eggs to give you a good protein content. If you do not eat meat, then there are plenty of ways to add protein-rich toppings, the easiest being to add seeds to your salad mix, or nuts. You can also add things like chickpeas, kidney beans, and other legumes.

Add Colorful Vegetables and Fruit

Different vegetables and fruits contain different quantities of different vitamins and minerals. Some of the vegetables that are richest in nutritional goodies are the ones that are brightly colored. Because of this, it is advisable to select the things that you base your salad on trying to make it look as colorful as possible. Carrots, corn, tomatoes, radishes, beets, and red onions, all have both appealing visible color and also different nutrients. Try experimenting with different combinations to make your salads more interesting, while also making them even richer in the essential nutrients that you should be getting from your diet.

By being mindful of what you are putting in your salads and what it is added to their nutritional profile, you can easily make your summer salads this year far healthier.

4 comments:

Theresa Mahoney said...

I am addicted to vinaigrette for my salads. Ken's has a raspberry pecan that is scrumptious. I don't eat salads often as they are hard to digest, which is bad for my autoimmune disorder, but when I am feeling healthy, I'll have a bowl for lunch or dinner.

Indah Nuria Savitri said...

Those colorful fruits and veggies are my favorite, Alissa. As for the dressing, I love lime or lemon juice!

mail4rosey said...

I'm on a nut, seed, fruit, and veggie only diet. Getting rid of bread and cheese for a bit to try and take off some of this weight I've gained. It's so much harder to get off when you're older. I'm not used to it and I don't like it. Salads def. play a roll. I don't like dressing most of the time (I like Olive Garden dressing though), so I'm good there.

~ Noelle said...

I love salads!
I have noticed I don't like the creamy dressings like I once did :)

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