The first thing we think about when we want to get healthy and go on a diet is eat a salad. We go to the supermarket and purchase everything we need to make a BIG HEALTHY SALAD. So let see what we get
Lettuce
Tomato
Carrots
Cucumber
Onion
Green Pepper
Mushroom
Radish
Dried Cranberries
Seeds
Nuts
Croutons
Cheese
Bacon Bits
Salad Dressing
Chicken Breast
Sounds good right? If you’re thinking yes well I think so as well; however in moderation it is, but we want to be FULL so we make a BIG SALAD. Let’s break down our healthy salad.
• Lettuce – If you’re buying iceberg you should just eat a cotton ball because iceberg has no nutritional value. I would recommend romaine (either fresh or in a bag). Spinach, spring mix, veggie blend all in a bag. – 2 Cups 35 Calories
• Tomato – A few cherry tomatoes (no more then 7) or a few slices of a whole tomato. – 25 Calories
• Carrots – Can be used they have good properties. (If you are diabetic use sparingly due to the sugar and carb content.) – 25 Calories
• Cucumber ½ cup 10 calories, Onion 2 TBS Chopped 10 calories, Green Pepper 10 strips sliced thin 6 calories, Radish 1 oz 5 calories
At 116 calories we aren’t doing so bad right? OK now for the fun “Good Stuff” in our salad.
Dried Cranberries – ¼ cup 85 calories
Seeds - 2 Tbs 70 Calories
Nuts ¼ Cup 150 Calories
Croutons – 50 Calories
Cheese ¼ Cup – 110 Calories
Bacon Bits 2 Tbs– 66 Calories
4 Tbsp Salad Dressing – 270 Calories
4 oz Chicken Breast – 187 Calories
The healthy salad is now 1109 calories.
Did you think that your “Healthy Salad” would be over eleven hundred calories? The extras you add to a salad to make it filling and taste good will cause your calories to go up.
Salads need to simple. Let me give you and example of a healthy filling simple salad.
2 Cups of Baby Spinach(buy it in a bag with other veggies for more crunch) 30 Calories
4oz Boneless Chicken Breast 187 Calories
½ cup Cucumber 10 calories
2 TBS Chopped Onion 10 calories
5 strips Green Pepper 10 calories
¼ Cup Fat Free Cheese 45 calories
4 Tbs Light Vinaigrette 75 calories
TOTAL CALORIES = 367 That’s a 742 calorie difference.
Salads can be simple and taste good. This salad will be filling, tasty and packed with vitamins and protein. Try it and let me know what you think about it.