Well - Summer 2011 - (Page 12)

NUTRITION Salad During the hot summer months, many people turn to lighter food options, such as salads, because they are refreshing but also because they help in people’s efforts to be healthy and possibly lose weight. Unfortunately, for some, the numbers on the scale haven’t budged all summer. So what’s the problem? With the help of Susannah Southern, a registered dietitian at UNC Health Care, we take a look at some of the ways people sabotage their efforts to incorporate healthy salads into their diets. The Right Amount of Green Don’t Sabotage Your Calorie Counter An average serving of dressing is 1–2 tablespoons. One serving of blue cheese dressing has almost 200 calories and 20 grams of fat. celery and carrots. “We usually get full way before we can overeat such low-caloriedensity foods. The place to be careful with portions is with the high-calorie toppings. If you add cheese, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, bacon and croutons to your salad, you’ve added signi cant calories before you even added any salad dressing.” Dress for Success The rst thing that comes to mind when people think of salads is lettuce, of course. A serving size is about a cup, or the size of a baseball, but let’s be honest: When was the last time you ordered a salad at a restaurant and were served a cup-sized amount of lettuce? Even if your salad came in a large bowl and had an entire head of romaine lettuce (and nothing else), you would only be eating about 100 calories and no fat to speak of. So how do all those calories and fat grams end up in your salad bowl? It’s all the stu you sprinkle on top to add avor. “There is nothing wrong with someone eating a large portion of nonstarchy vegetables,” says Southern, who recommends adding crunchy, colorful vegetables such as peppers, cucumbers, tomato, Salad dressing is possibly the biggest culprit when it comes to unhealthy salad ingredients. If you prepare a salad of a variety of nonstarchy vegetables with a small portion of lean protein, such as grilled chicken, you could still have a very reasonable calorie count. If you choose the wrong dressing or add more than you should, however, you could easily double the amount of calories to an otherwise healthy salad. Very quickly, you could be looking at a plate with close to 800 calories or more, which is almost half of what an average woman needs in an entire day. Southern o ers a few tips to enjoying healthy salads. • Select only a few high-calorie toppings and add small amounts to your salad. • Try shaking salad in a container with a lid to get dressing on every bite without needing as much dressing. • Add colorful ingredients to increase appeal and nutrition. • Ask for high-calorie toppings to be served on the side at restaurants to control how much you use. • Use ingredients with strong flavors so that you don’t have to add as much to get good taste. “For a salad that will serve as a meal, you should start with a large amount of nonstarchy vegetables,” advises Southern. “Next, add protein such as sh, chicken or egg, and some carbohydrates from fruit, corn, peas, beans or whole grains. Finally, select a heart-healthy fat such as olive oil- or canola oil-based dressing.” 12 Summer 2011 Well

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Well - Summer 2011

Well - Summer 2011
Contents
UNC Health Care News
Community
Radio City Rockettes Visit Children’s Hospital
Prostate Protection
Surgery Through Oxlee’s Eyes
Nutrition
Calendar

Well - Summer 2011

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