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Which Would You Choose: Salad Edition

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Leafy greens are one of the best foods for you, but we often overload these nutritious leaves with tasty bits that are high in calories. When it comes to making a salad, what would you choose? Take this quiz and see if you know how to build a healthy salad.

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Healthy Eating Tip: Salad Dos and Don'ts

FitSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:00:00 -0700

In the warmer months of Spring and Summer I often opt for a cool crisp salad for lunch. If you find yourself eating more and more salads as the weather gets warmer and warmer, then use these salad bar tips for the dos and don'ts of keeping that salad easy on your waistline.

Do make your own salad (if possible).
Don't think that the pre-made salads are always going to be healthy.
Do get the darker leaf greens, like spinach, romaine, or arugula.
Don't fill your bowl with Iceberg lettuce — it offers little to nothing nutritionally.
Do load up on fresh veggies.
Don't load up on grilled veggies — grilled veggies at a salad bar are often coated with butter and oil.

I've got more tips for keeping a salad healthy so

Healthy Eating Tip: Pack Salad For the Week

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Are you struggling with eating healthy at lunchtime? I know if I don't plan out a healthy meal the night before, I'll end up going out to lunch. Not only will I be spending more money on food, but I am sure there a hidden calories in restaurant foods, even if they appear healthy.

Try this instead. On Sunday night, make a big salad and store it in five Tupperware containers for Monday through Friday. That way you don't have to deal with making your lunch every day, and you can just grab it in the morning before you leave, and you know you've got yourself a healthy meal. You can add leftovers from your dinner the night before to your salad to make it a bit more snappy. Don't toss those four leftover pieces of steamed broccoli; add them to your salad.

Keeping a bottle of salad dressing in the work fridge helps keep this plan intact. Need some ideas for fun and tasty salads? Check out Pimp Your Greens.

Healthy Eating Tip: Skip the Dressing and Add Fruit to Your Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:30:00 -0700

We all know that eating salad is good for us since fresh veggies are so healthy and full of fiber. I've realized though that I tend to add a lot of dressing to make my salad flavorful, which can add tons of calories. So instead of pouring on the dressing, top your salad with fruit.

Pears and apples are pretty popular, but I also love watermelon, cherries, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, or grapefruit on my salad. It may sound a little weird at first, but the sweetness goes really well with the crispness of the salad. You can also add dried fruit too like dried cranberries, cherries, or chopped up apricots. Your salad will have so much flavor that you won't be missing that dressing one bit. Do you already like to add fruit to your salad?

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Pimp Your Greens: Three Salad Ideas

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:30:00 -0800

Taking basic salad greens and loading them with extra veggies is a great way to increase your intake of nutrient rich fruits and veggies. The only problem with this plan is that we can easily end up in a salad rut. I asked you all to pimp my salad and the combinations you came up with sound amazing. It was nice to get some interesting salad dressing ideas too. I can also tell you that FitSugar readers do not shy away from dried cranberries or gorgonzola – two of my favorite salad toppings.

There were many tasty combinations listed, but I found three very different creations that I thought I would highlight.

Pizza Salad: This one I can’t wait to try. DearMissPriss eats this when she’s being good on pizza night — this salad doesn't even need dressing!

Red leaf lettuce
Turkey pepperoni
Marinated artichoke hearts
Hearts of palm
Capers
Crumbled feta
Oregano
Red pepper flakes

There are two more really tasty salads, so to see what they include just

How Often Do You Eat a Salad as Your Meal?

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:30:00 -0800

I find one of the easiest ways to eat fresh veggies is in a salad. The greens and extra fruits and veggies are full of vitamins and fiber so I try to eat a salad as my meal for either lunch or dinner every day. So I was wondering . . .Source

How Often Do You Eat a Salad as Your Meal?

Everyday

Almost everyday

A few times a week

Once a week

A few times a month

I hardly ever eat just a salad as my meal, but I like them as a side dish.

Other – share the details below.

Speak Up: Pimp My Salad

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:30:00 -0800

Salads are a staple of healthy eating. They are a great way to increase your veggie intake, and if you are trying to lose weight they are one of those high density foods that fill you up without a lot of calories. Let's face it, salad greens by themselves can get a bit dull. Plus you need to add fat and protein to make sure the salad keeps you full, especially if it is your main course.

I have become bored lately with my salads and need your help to make my salad tasty, appetizing, and nutritionally well rounded. So please pimp my salad! Starting with the salad greens of your choice, tell me your favorite salad. Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.

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Healthy Eating Tip: Add Fat to Salads

FitSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 07:30:00 -0800

Look, I know that the reason most of us eat a salad is because it's fat free, but fat free is not always the best idea when it comes to eating a salad as a meal. You could find yourself scrounging for more food soon after finishing all those leafy greens. I'm not saying you should drench your salad in Ranch, but instead add a little bit of good fats like nuts, seeds or avocado. The good fat will not only add taste to your salad and keep you satisfied longer, but polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats have been known to lower bad cholesterol (or LDL cholesterol). While you are at it try to add some protein too. Almonds have more protein per gram than walnuts. Even the lovely avocado contains some protein.

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Healthy Lunch Idea: Chickpea, Tomato, and Feta Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Last week you guys all gave some great ideas for healthy, easy lunches and since we're still on the topic (well I am, at least) I wanted to share a recipe for Chickpea, Tomato, and Feta Salad that user wren posted in the Healthy Recipes Group. Not only is this recipe healthy, but it's also super easy because it requires no cooking.

For the recipe just

Healthy Eating Tip: Eat a Salad First

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:00:00 -0800

I'm always looking for ways to fill up on good stuff so I don't stuff myself with the bad stuff. One tip that really works for me is to always eat a small salad before eating dinner. I don't allow myself to eat anything else before finishing my salad, which means by the time I get around to my main meal I've already loaded up on veggies. What's more? Half the time I find myself fuller quicker and I'm not as likely to overeat on the less healthy items that usually come with the main course — this means fewer calories too. Plus eating more salad increases your intake of vitamins C, E, B6, and folic acid — key nutrients in promoting health.

Fit's Tip: Skip the dressing altogether or opt for something light — I like to use a little balsamic vinegar.

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Holiday Eating Tip: Make a Thanksgiving Leftover Salad

FitSugar — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 02:00:00 -0800

After a heavy Thanksgiving meal, many of us are craving meals on the lighter side the following week — especially those of us who are trying to make it through the holidays without the inevitable weight gain! So for something lighter, make a salad with plenty of fresh vegetables topped with cubed or sliced leftover turkey.

Other ingredients to consider are dark purple salad greens, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, celery, leftover peas, chopped almonds, and hard-boiled eggs.

Top with a cranberry salad dressing that you can make on your own by mixing some leftover cranberry sauce with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar.

Why I love this salad:

Turkey is high in protein, and I have a lot of it lying around.
Cranberry is among our list of favorite seasonal foods.
Mixed veggies provide you with a natural source of fabulous nutrients like vitamin c and lycopene, to name a few.
Olive oil and almonds are great sources for monounsaturated fat (aka the good fat).

Fit's Tip: Love cheese on your salad? Cheese is a great source of calcium but can be high in fat, so try topping with a cheese that is a little bit lower in fat naturally like Parmesan or Sap Sago (made from whey).

Ovarian Cancer: Prevent With Fiber and Less Fat

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

It turns out that including at least 30 g of fiber in your diet not only helps prevent breast cancer, but a new study also says that it could also reduce your risk for ovarian cancer by 40 percent.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cancer killer of women. About 20,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with this deadly disease every year, and about 15,000 will die from it. Unfortunately that is not a great survival rate.

That's why it's so important for women to stick with a long-term diet that's high in fiber and low in fat with less than 20 percent of daily calories coming from fat. Not only does this diet help reduce their risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers, but it can also help prevent heart disease, and head and neck cancers as well.

So get your fiber ladies. If you want to know how much fiber is in the foods you eat, then

It's Summer Squash Time!

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Ahh summer. It's almost here and with it comes a whole array of fresh fruits and veggies. Summer squash is one of my favorites because it tastes good raw and cooked. I didn't know this, but it's relatives with the melon, the cucumber, and eggplant. Cucumber makes sense, but melon? Who knew?

You can find summer squash in all kinds of shapes and varieties. Zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan squash, and globe squash are all summer squash. The best part is that you can eat the entire vegetable - the skin, flesh and seeds. Unlike winter squash, summer squash are more fragile and cannot be stored for long periods of time, so make sure to use them soon after you buy them.

Want to know why they're so healthy for you? Then

Healthy Eating Tip: Make A Colorful Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:30:00 -0700

One of the best things of summer is the food. So many of my favorite veggies are in season, so they are less expensive and tastier. This makes summer a great time to eat and make salads. Plus you don't have to turn on the stove.

To reap the most nutritional benefits from your salad you should add some color. Why limit yourself to just greens. Antioxidants often give color to food, so if you add a colorful array of veggies and fruits you will be covering your bases.

Here's a list of colorful vegetables to mix and match on top of your favorite greens:

fresh corn
chopped fresh herbs, like basil and dill
red, orange, and/or yellow peppers
tomatoes of any color (orange cherry tomatoes taste like candy!!!)
shredded carrots
red leaf lettuce
radishes
steamed green beans
radicchio
avocado
mango
berries (check out this recipe for Spinach and Strawberry Salad)
red cabbage chopped
green onions

Now, I would never put all those things in one salad, since I have a salad quirk where I usually limit my salad toppings to just 3 items. But in the summer, with so many veggies at the height of their season, I work through my quirk and sometimes can barely see the lettuce for all the wonderful ingredients I have added in.

I'd love to hear about your favorite summer salad combination. So tell me about it in the comments section below.

Not-So-Healthy Health Foods

FitSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 10:15:00 -0700

A lot of times we have the impression that something is healthy just by its name but that is not always the case. I came across this great article from MSNBC.com that exposes foods that are typically labeled as healthy, but aren't:

Enhanced waters: Why drink ordinary water when you can drink “nutrient-enhanced water”? Well, maybe because these “enhanced” waters are just sugar water with a touch of nutrients and a lot of hype. There is no evidence that the ingredients prevent colds, boost health and energy, or reduce disease risk. They also come at a high price, some cost up to $1.50, two to three times the price of plain bottled water.

Watch out for the serving sizes, too. A Glaceau VitaminWater says it supplies half of your daily need for some of the nutrients. But you have to drink the entire bottle, which according to the label would be 2.5 servings and 125 calories, almost the same amount of sugar calories as you'd get in a cola. In reality, you're getting only 7 out of the 40+ nutrients you need. Even then, the amount is miniscule. For example, the vitamin C you'll get from drinking an entire bottle of Glaceau VitaminWater could easily be gotten from eating two strawberries, for a fraction of the calories. You are much better off taking a moderate-dose multiple vitamin and mineral supplement and leaving these enhanced waters on the grocery store shelf.

What about whole grain bread or salads,

Healthy Meals Made Easy: Make a Big Salad

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:15:00 -0700

A great way to make sure you get your veggies for the week is to make one big salad. I'm more likely to eat a salad everyday if it's already made, as opposed to having to take time to make one everyday. Who has time for that?

It'll take about 30 min to an hour to buy all the stuff you need, and another 30 minutes to wash and cut everything up.

Here are some tips to make it go by even quicker:

Make a list of all the things you love in your salad including fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, yellow, green, orange, and red peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and celery. Don't forget the fresh and dried fruit, nuts, flax seeds, and salad dressing as well. Having a list will help you remember everything. There's nothing worse than getting home and realizing you forgot the lettuce.
If you don't have a big huge plastic container with a lid, make sure to pick one of those up too.
Look for pre-washed lettuce in bags or plastic containers, and baby carrots. Buying these will save you a lot of time.

Want some more tips? Then

Subway Breakdown

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Subway has done a good job marketing themselves as a fresh, low-fat alternative to other fast food chains. Turns out, Subway isn't half bad for you! I'm actually impressed.

	If you can stand to be in a sandwich place and not get a sandwich, then definitely go for the: Grilled Chicken and Baby Spinach Salad with olive oil and vinegar because it only has 185 calories, 8 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 450 mg of sodium and 11 grams of carbs.
	You should probably get the: Turkey Breast 6-inch Sandwich on wheat bread (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, pickles and olives) with 280 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1020 mg of sodium and 46 grams of carbs.
	You could also get the: Roast Beef 6-inch Sandwich on wheat bread (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, pickles and olives) with 290 calories, 5 grams of fat, o grams of trans fat, 920 mg of sodium and 45 grams of carbs.
	I know it may sound tempting, but do not get the: Meatball Marinara 6-inch Sandwich on wheat bread (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, pickles, olives and cheese) with 560 calories, 24 grams of fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 1610 mg of sodium and 63 grams of carbs.

For other ways to watch your calories at Subway,

Taco Bell Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 09:15:00 -0800

Everyone has made a run for the border at some point or another. To make sure you're prepared for your next trip to Taco Bell, I've broken down some of the popular menu items.

You should probably stick to the Crunchy Taco's Fresco Style (no cheese) as one has 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 360 mg of sodium and 14 grams of carbs. (*The soft taco fresco style weighs in with 190 calories)

You could also go for the Chicken Gordita Fresco Style which has 230 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 570 mg of sodium and 29 grams of carbs.

You definitely do not want to get the Fiesta Taco Salad as it packs in 860 calories, 46 grams of fat, 5 grams of trans fat, 1800 mg of sodium and 82 grams of carbs. (*The salad without the shell still has 490 calories!)

Fit's Tip: Watch out for condiments like sour cream and baja style sauce, they will pack on the extra calories!

Spray on the Oil

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 02:00:04 -0800

During the holidays, you simply can't pass up all the rich and delicious foods and desserts. Tasting all those yummy things is part of the fun during this time of year.

Go ahead and enjoy all the food when you're celebrating. But in between big meals and decadant desserts, you might want to try lightening your food intake.

I love having a big salad filled with as many fresh vegetables as I can get my hands on. I flavor it with dried cranberries, apples, pears, and walnuts.

I also discovered this oil sprayer. I hate when my fresh greens are swimming in oil. Now I can just give my salad a light mist.

Fit's Tips: Use an oil sprayer on cooking utensils, pizza dough, vegetables, frying pans, and cookie sheets to reduce unnecessary fat intake.

Dress it down

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0800

It is a fact: Salad greens are good for you. But the dressings, not so much. A lot of dressings are loaded with fat since they are oil or cream based.

So here's a few ways to dress down your salad.

Thin creamy dressings, like poppy seed or blue cheese, with non-fat milk.
Spray salad with olive oil spray so it is not over dressed.
If you are making dressing at home use olive oil or canola oil since they have good monounsaturated fats, and canola oil has omega 3 fatty acids too.
Use non-fat salsa as a dressing substitute.
If you are ordering a salad out, ask for the dressing on the side.

Snack Attack: Thanksgiving Leftovers!

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 09:01:18 -0800

After a heavy Thanksgiving meal, many of us want to snack on lighter things the following week-- especially dieters who are trying to make it through the holidays without the inevitable weight gain! So for something lighter, make a salad with plenty of fresh vegetables topped with cubed or sliced leftover turkey.

Other ingredients to consider:
Dark purple salad greens, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, celery, leftover peas, chopped almonds and hard boiled eggs (peeled, sliced and yolks removed).

Top with a cranberry salad dressing that you can make on your own by mixing some leftover cranberry sauce with olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar.

Why we love this snack:
Salads are great for you period.
Turkey is high in protein.
Cranberry is among our list of foods that are really good for you.
Vegetables provide you with a natural source of fabulous nutrients like vitamin c and lycopene.
Olive oil and Almonds are great sources for monounsaturated fat (the good fat).

Fit's Tip: Lots of people love to have bits of cheese on their salad. Cheese is a great source of Calcium but can be high in fat. Try topping with a cheese that is a little bit lower in fat naturally like Parmesan or Sap Sago (made from whey).