Warning! Avoid These Unhealthy Salad Ingredients

A salad can be a tasty and healthy addition to a meal, especially when it’s loaded with antioxidant rich greens and colorful vegetables of all shapes and sizes. A salad can also be deceptively decadent when too many unhealthy toppings and a high calorie dressing is placed on top. If you’re eating a salad for health reasons, here are five unhealthy salad ingredients you’ll want to avoid.

Unhealthy salad ingredients: Croutons

Most croutons are too high in calories, salt, carbohydrates, and fat to be a healthy addition to a salad. Plus, most people put on way too many of them. On the other hand, it’s not hard to make a healthy crouton at home using whole grain bread, garlic, spices, and olive oil. If you have to have these crunchy little nuggets, make them yourself and take them along when you dine at a restaurant.

Unhealthy salad ingredients: Bacon bits

An ounce of bacon bits adds about 133 calories to your salad bowl – along with lots of sodium. Those flavorful little crunchers also contain sodium nitrite – a preservative that increases the risk of cancer – and some even contain hydrogenated oils. A healthier alternative is a preservative free substitute called Organic Bac’uns sold by Frontier Foods. They’re organic, low sodium, meatless, and cholesterol-free. They can be found at many natural food markets and some mainstream grocery stores.

Unhealthy salad ingredients: Cheddar cheese

A little cheddar cheese is okay, but most people sprinkle on far too much. Cheddar cheese is relatively high in calories in fat. A good substitute that’s just as satisfying is feta cheese. Because of its more pronounced flavor, you’ll use less of it to get great flavor.

Unhealthy salad ingredients: The wrong kinds of meat

Adding a little fresh turkey, salmon, or baked or grilled chicken to a salad is a good source of protein and makes a salad more filling. Adding breaded chicken to a salad isn’t such a good thing since it adds too much fat. If you want to keep a salad meat-free, but still want protein, add black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, chopped egg whites, or nuts to your salad instead.  

Unhealthy salad ingredients: The wrong dressing

This is where most people destroy a healthy salad. Not only do they choose the wrong dressing, but they put on too much of it. Most creamed based dressings such as blue cheese, ranch, and Caesar are too high in fat. Stick to the lighter, olive oil and vinegar based dressings – but be careful. Read the label since some low fat, “healthy” dressings are high in sugar and salt. Some salad dressings still contain hydrogenated oils, so it pays to do a little research. Even better – make your own vinegar based dressing at home. Also, resist the temptation to drown your salad in dressing. Try dipping your fork in the dressing before taking a bite instead.

The bottom line? Keep your salad healthy, so you can enjoy occasionally splurging on other foods – without guilt.