Your Salad is Making YOU Fat
I spent last week in Iceland — incredible trip. Amazing country. And really enjoyed the group we presented to.
While talking, someone raised her hand and asked about a client who "only eats salads, but can’t lose any weight." She wanted to know if I had any suggestions.
Here’s the deal — people think salads are GREAT! And they can be. But they can literally destroy your body too.
Load them up with cheese, bacon, creamy dressings, nuts and you can pack a major "dose" of calories. A restaurant Cobb Salad can pack nearly 100 grams of fat, 1000+ calories, and nearly 2000 mg of sodium!
Caesar is just as bad with 1 days worth of calories and fat in just that meal! And you think you’re doing something healthy!
Here’s how to build a fat burning salad like you wouldn’t believe… Start with a base of spinach, add some fresh seasonal fruit (berries, peaches, apples, oranges, etc), a variety of veggies, some raw nuts, and avocado. Add some wild salmon or grilled chicken breast and that’s a meal you can’t compete with.
In fact, I just finished that exact meal up myself — we had leftover wild salmon we grilled, so put that on there, then loads of spinach, tomatoes from our garden, avocado, squash, and a little shredded carrot. Good stuff!
Do you have a favorite salad? Let us know below!
July 20th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Great information!! I was at Chile’s one time and got a salad — I was shocked to learn just how many calories and fat were in the salad I thought was “healthy.” Keep it coming!
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July 20th, 2009 at 11:49 am
My favorite is mixing strawberries or grapes and balsamic vinegar on a salad — the sweet and tart combo is the best.
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July 22nd, 2009 at 8:25 am
I used to fall for that all the time. I rationalized that I was on a “diet” by eating salads, but when I finally met with a dietitian, I learned my “healthy” salads had almost 1500 calories EACH (and I ate 2 each day!) Thanks for all your great info!
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July 22nd, 2009 at 11:26 am
THANK YOU for this information. Your website is the best! What do you think of eating a salad each day — if built with healthy ingredients? Can this be too much?
Thank you — Michelle
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July 22nd, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I used to live off Ranch dressing, without realizing how bad that was. I sometimes still use creamy dressing, but dip the fork as you had once mentioned, or I use salsa or balsamic vinegar and olive oil. That alone made a huge difference for me!
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July 22nd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Kerry — this is a great idea and one we do all the time! Sweet fruits with a tart vinegar is a perfect combination!
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July 26th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Any green and coloured vegetables, with a vinegar and olive oil dressing (I use 1 ts oil per 100 lbs bodyweight) and herbs. Usually with either shrimp, scallops, cold chicken, hard-boiled eggs …
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July 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
My favorite is a large bowl of spinach, 1/4 c black beans, 1/4 c red pepper, 1/4 avocado and 3 tbsp salsa.
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July 27th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
yeah i like Spinach leaf salad, black beans and salsa. Thats not too bad for ya right???
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July 27th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
This is such a common problem…my mother eats out all of the time, but uses the excuse- “Well I just had a salad”. And usually the salad consist of romaine lettuce, cheese, and fried chicken. Not too mention the 1/3 c of ranch dressing that comes on the side. Most of the time people order salads because they want a ‘healthier’ option, so why do restaurants feel the need to make that option ‘unhealthy’?
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July 28th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Hi Michelle – I think having a daily salad is a fantastic idea, as long as it’s “built” with great ingredients. In fact it’s a good way to maintain or lose weight; include loads of veggies, some raw nuts, and a lean protein, like wild salmon. Can’t get much better than that! Thanks for the compliments.
Chris
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July 29th, 2009 at 5:25 am
On July 28, the New York Times web site had a great article called “101 Simple Salads.” Lots of great options (including vegan) and some surprising, but appetizing combinations. You may want to check it out.
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Chris and Kara Mohr Reply:
July 29th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Thanks for this heads up, Susan! We’ll definitely check it out!
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