Make the Perfect Salad

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Make the Perfect Salad

 

by Hope Warshaw, M.M.Sc., R.D., C.D.E.

 

Here are calorie counts for some of the most common

choices available at salad bars. Use them as a rough

guide when filling your plate.

 

Lowest-calorie vegetables (about 25 calories per 1

cup)

 

Bell peppers

Broccoli (raw)

Cabbage (red or green)

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumbers

Lettuce (all types)

Mushrooms

Radishes

Spinach

Sprouts (all types)

Summer squash (raw)

Zucchini (raw)

Low-calorie vegetables (about 25 calories per 1/2 cup)

 

Artichoke (not marinated)

Beets (canned or fresh cooked)

Carrots (raw)

Onions (raw)

Tomatoes (raw)

Starches (60 - 100 calories per serving)

Bread (1 slice)

1/3 cup chickpeas (a.k.a., garbanzo beans)

Crackers (4 - 6, medium size)

1/2 cup croutons

1/2 cup green peas

1/3 cup kidney beans

 

Lower-calorie protein (about 40 - 80 calories per oz.)

 

Egg (sliced or cubed, not egg salad)

Feta cheese

 

Higher-calorie protein (approx. 100 or more calories

per oz.)

Cheese (hard types)

 

Pre-mixed items (about 35 - 50 calories per 1/4 cup)

Fresh or canned fruit

Gelatin with fruit

Marinated artichoke hearts, assorted vegetables and

mushrooms

Marinated/pickled beets

Three-bean salad

 

High-calorie pre-mixed items (100 - 160 calories per

1/2 cup )

Corn relish

Fruit ambrosia

Macaroni salad

Salads mixed with mayonnaise: egg, potato, or pasta

 

Toppings (calories per tbsp.)

Chinese noodles: 20

Hot peppers: 2 - 5

Pickles: 2 - 5

Raisins: 32

Olives, green or black: 15

Peanuts: 53

Sesame seeds: 38

Sunflower seeds: 47

 

 

Salad Dressings: The Lowdown (per 2 tbsp.)*

 

The calories from any salad dressing - even light and

fat-free - can add up quickly. Consider flavored

vinegars as a tasty, healthier alternative. And while

using olive oil ups the calories, it's a heart-healthy

fat that can be used in moderation.

 

Calories* Carbohydrate (g) Fat (g)

 

Balsamic vinegar 19.5 5 0

Balsamic vinegar w/ 62 5 5

(2 tbsp.) and olive oil (1 tsp.)

Balsamic vinegar w/ 145 5 14

 

(2 tbsp.) and olive oil (1 tbsp.)

Blue Cheese, reg. 154 2 16

French, reg. 134 5 13

Italian, reg. (oil-based) 137 3 14

Ranch, reg. 150 2 16

Thous. Isl., reg. 118 5 11

 

Blue Cheese, lite 52 3 4

French, lite 63 10 3

Italian, lite 18 2 2

Ranch, lite 81 7 6

Thous. Isl., lite 65 6 4

 

Blue Cheese, fat-free 43 10 0

French, fat-free 37 10 0

Italian, fat-free 10 2 0

Ranch, fat-free 42 9 0

Thous. Isl., fat-free 45 11 0

 

 

*The information in this table is based on a composite

sample of several of each type of salad dressing.

 

Tips: Salad Dressing

Always order dressing on the side so you can control

how much you use.

 

 

Start with a small amount of dressing, spread it

around and see if it's enough. Resist the urge to use

more than you need or all that you're served. It's

probably too much.

 

 

Request vinegar or lemon wedges on the side to add to

a small amount of dressing and spread it over the

salad.

 

 

Try the " fork and dip " technique. Some people find

they use less if they just lightly dip a forkful of

salad in the dressing.

 

 

Create a Healthy Salad*

 

Example #1

 

Calories Fat (g)

1 cup greens 10 0

3 slices cucumber 2 0

1/4 cup shredded carrots 12 0

1/4 cup mushrooms 12 0

1/4 cup bean sprouts 8 0

1/4 cup pickled beets 37 0

1/4 cup chickpeas 60 1

1 tbsp. feta cheese 25 2

1 tbsp. raisins 31 0

2 tbsp. Thousand Island dressing diluted with 118 11

Vinegar 0 0

Totals 315 14

 

 

Create a Healthy Salad*

 

Example #2

 

Calories Fat (g)

2 cups greens 20 0

1 cup spinach 6 0

1/3 cup raw broccoli 6 0

1/3 cup mushrooms 17 0

1/4 cup carrots 12 0

1/3 cup tomatoes 15 0

1/3 cup green peas 40 0

1/4 cup chopped egg 53 4

1 oz. shredded cheddar cheese 114 9

1/3 cup artichoke hearts 30 0

1/3 cup three-bean salad 42 3

1/4 cup pasta salad 68 4

2 tsp. sunflower seeds 31 3

2 tbsp. " lite " Italian dressing 18 2

2 tbsp. " lite " French dressing 63 3

Totals 535 28

 

 

*Nutrition information is based on estimates, not an

precise nutrient analysis.

 

Hope Warshaw, M.M.Sc., R.D., C.D.E., is the author of

The Restaurant Companion: A Guide to Healthier Eating

Out, 2nd ed. (Surrey, 1995) and Guide to Healthier

Restaurant Eating (American Diabetes Association,

1998).

 

 

 

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Language is an expression of thought. Everytime you speak, your mind is on

Parade Exodus 20:8-11 & Hebrews 4:9

 

 

 

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