All that glitters is not gold. This phrase is useful to understand why a salad is not always the best option if you want to prepare a light dish. Although vegetables like spinach, lettuce or arugula do not contain many calories on their own, the same is not true for some of our favorite ingredients and dressings to accompany a salad. So we must be careful with salads and especially with what we add to accompany them.
What ingredients to add to make a light salad
Salads can be fun, packed with a variety of ingredients, and incredibly delicious when prepared well. They are healthy, contain many beneficial nutrients such as fiber, vitamins E and C, and are very versatile.
Choosing the right base
We have already seen that a salad must contain certain key ingredients and that these are not the ones that are going to cause us the most problems if we want to make a healthy and balanced dish that, in addition, does not necessarily have to be bland. or tasteless. But it is important that the base is made up of as many raw or steamed vegetables as possible so that the dish is full of fiber and varied nutrients.
We can try to use at least two or three different vegetables, which can be green leaves, onions or colorful vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes or peppers. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and even tubers like carrots or pumpkin will also help us.
They go very well, for example, with raw vegetables such as tomatoes or cucumbers, which are very rich in water. Avocado, which contains about 70 grams of water per 100 grams, is also a star food when served with a salad. Although it can be considered a fatty food and should not be overused, it is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids.
These first ingredients will form the basis of the salad and will evolve with the seasons and everyone’s tastes to offer us healthy dishes. Cooked or raw, cold or warm, they will allow us to stock up on fiber, vitamins and minerals and will bring us a touch of freshness and flavor.
Add some animal and vegetable proteins
For a salad to become a 100% healthy and balanced dish, it is best that it contains a wide variety of nutrients and all the necessary contributions. And proteins should not be lacking here. Animal proteins are found in meats such as chicken, beef; in fish such as sardines, tuna or anchovies; and in eggs.
Vegetable proteins will also help us to make a complete dish. We can add legumes, tofu, seitan or tempeh. Legumes offer an excellent alternative to meat, they are a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals and, thanks to their low fat content, they are our best allies for losing weight.
Let’s not forget the carbohydrates
A common misconception we have is that a salad is unhealthy if it contains carbohydrates, although it is also true that, just like proteins, some are better than others. So we can add a source of carbohydrates, whether mixed, like quinoa, or as an accompaniment, like a slice of bread.
It is important not to ignore these foods because they are the ones that help us stay energetic. Instead, we should avoid anything that is fried.
Nuts instead of croutons
If we want to enrich our salads with something crunchy, nuts are great allies. Rich in trace elements, fiber and minerals, they help us to fill up with energy and will give a crunchy touch to our salad. The choice is wide: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts or pistachios.
Favor extra virgin olive oil
Although it may not seem like it, whether a salad contains more calories than desired depends largely on the oil we use to dress it. It is an excellent food for cardiovascular health that helps increase healthy cholesterol levels. Although it should not be overused.
Beware of sauces
Dressing may be our favorite part of the salad, but we have to be careful because it can also be loaded with calories or less healthy ingredients. It is estimated that a tablespoon of dressing can contain up to 50 calories. We probably won’t be satisfied with adding just a tablespoon, so the amount can be larger.
To avoid this, we can use low-fat varieties of dressings, favoring olive oil and vinegar. Here are some ideas for light sauces to accompany your salad.
Add flavor and… herbs
One of the advantages of salads is that they are very versatile and we can add all the herbs and spices we want: from the popular garlic to pepper, basil, coriander, ginger, rosemary, thyme, oregano or parsley, among others. In addition to their flavor, it is increasingly evident that they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and that they can also help us reduce glucose and cholesterol. In addition, herbs will also help us limit the use of salt.
Fruit, another great ally
Adding fruit to a salad, in addition to adding color, also provides nutrients, fiber and increases hydration. In addition to making us feel fuller, it will also be more attractive to the eye. If we are concerned about the sugar in fruit, we can rest assured that its water and fiber content helps to compensate for the effect of sugar on our blood sugar levels. If we take it with other macronutrients such as proteins and fats, the help to stabilize this sugar level is greater.
Are there any ingredients that are prohibited in a balanced salad?
We have already seen that, to make a healthy salad, it is all a question of balance, you just need to have the reflexes to choose the foods well. Even if you should not omit the “fat”, you have to choose the ingredient well. For example, there would be no problem in including avocado, a food full of good fats, but there would be no problem in avoiding sausages, rich in saturated animal fats.
The same would happen with cheeses like mozzarella, which would not unbalance the dish, but with fattier cheeses, which should be used in moderation. In general, the sausage-cheese-croutons trio should be used in moderation in a healthy salad or even avoided and favor other ingredients richer in fiber, nutrients and minerals.
