 Having
a bowl of light salads as starters before lunch or dinner is a good way to
maintain your weight. It not only curbs your appetite and prevents overeating
but will also give you a sense of satiety sooner. Moreover it is a tasty way
to get vitamins, minerals and fiber.
A recent study conducted by the Pennsylvania State University reveals that
eating a salad as a first course at lunch can make people feel full enough
to reduce their calorie consumption for the rest of the meal. Of course this
does not apply to just about any salad. According to researcher Barbara Rolls
and her colleagues the best bets should include plenty of vegetables and few
calories.
The research team surveyed 42 women who were about 26 years old, on an average.
The participants were in good health and regularly ate three meals a day.
Each of them was given 3 cups of low calorie salads before lunch was served.
This made them eat 100 calories less. Again when the salad amounts served
were cut in half they reduced calories by about half. These salads were composed
of such ingredients like lettuce, grated carrots, tomato, celery and cucumber.
Moreover, the amount of reduced-fat dressing was limited.
Therefore a good way to get rid of those unwanted calories is to fill up on
salads. But remember that some salads have high fat content and you should
strictly avoid them. For example 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise contains 12g of
fat, 1/ 4 cup of coleslaw contains 10g of fat and 1 ounce nuts contain around
15g fat. If you are in a weight loss diet you should keep away from such stuff.
Instead you should include a low fat salad that will help you to cut off those
extra pounds.
Since the composition of salads can vary it is important that you make the
right choice. An ideal salad should be a low fat one that limits your calorie
intake and should ideally have a fat free dressing. Fill up your salad with
plenty of greens, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, spinach and
mushrooms. You can even add lean meat like turkey cubes. Avoid dressing with
too much of grated cheese or nuts as far as possible.
Let your imagination run wild while preparing a salad. In this way you will
enjoy as much making it as well as eating it. Choose fresh ingredients as much
as possible. You can pick them up either from your garden or your neighborhood
supermarket. Salad greens like red leaf lettuce and green leaf lettuce and fresh
vegetables like onions, radishes, broccoli, pea pods and carrot strips are very
popular. If you have access to some ethnic produce you can then add some exotic
flare to your salads. Make it visually appealing by adding colorful fruits and
vegetables. Adding fresh fruits such as apple slices or mandarin oranges is
a great way to make plain salads more delicious. When you combine fruits and
vegetables in your salad it will help you enhance your nutrition as well. You
can even experiment by adding apple for chicken and tuna based salads.
As far as salad toppers are concerned restrict yourself to about 1 tablespoon
per 2 cups of salad greens and vegetables. You should make the right choice
while topping your salad. Use low- cal dressing or balsamic vinegar. You should
limit your intake of high fat salad toppers like olives, cheese, meats and eggs.
Some popular salad toppers include marinated artichokes, dried fruit like raisins
and cherries, fresh fruit and seeds.
So if you are desperate to get off those extra pounds include a healthy salad
in your diet. But make sure the calories you take in through the salad or its
topping is not high enough for you.
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