When planning out a diet or a new nutritional regime, one of the first things many of us do is prepare a list of healthy meals that can help expedite the process. The most common meal associated with weight loss is salad, and while there are certainly a number of benefits salads can yield, it may not be the most efficient or the best way to lose weight and stay healthy.
In my experience, the phrase “I only had a salad for lunch today!” is not synonymous with “I ate a healthy and nutritious meal today!” This is primarily due to the fact that most of the salads you would get from a restaurant are loaded with things like fried croutons, bacon bits, high-calorie salad dressings, etc. And it often results in a much higher caloric intake than things like burgers and fries. It may be hard to believe, but it’s true!
It is a common practice for fast food establishments and restaurants to provide so-called “healthy options” in an attempt to cater to different kinds of customers. However, it’s not unheard of for these salads to have over 1,000 calories.
A much better solution is to maintain control over what goes into your salad. If salads are indeed a significant part of your nutrition plan, then making these salads yourself allows you to regulate the amount of calories they contain.
For example, replacing deep-fried croutons, bacon, and cheese with a protein of some kind (chicken, fish, etc.). As well as being able to limit the amount of dressing that goes on top of the salad will ensure a much healthier and lower calorie meal. Another good tip is to replace salad dressing all together with a squeeze of fresh lemon!
If you find yourself eating out often and are unable to create your own salad, try asking your waiter or waitress to substitute, change, or exclude certain unhealthy additions that are common with salads.
The main thing to take away from this is that as long as you can maintain control and an understanding of the various things going into your salad, you will be able to ensure consistent weight loss results!
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