A Healthy Salad Should Not Contain 7 Foods

You may feel that you already know what ingredients can be included in a healthy salad and what not. But we are sure that the list below will surprise you. Often certain ingredients that seem ideal for a salad prevent us from achieving our goals, especially if we want to lose weight.

If you want to burn extra pounds, do not include the following 7 ingredients in your salads. We advise you to replace them with healthier options.

7 ingredients that have nothing to look for in a healthy salad

1. Bacon

Bacon is one of the most harmful ingredients you can include in a salad. This greasy meat contains about 400 calories and 30 g of fat per serving.

Of course, these values ​​vary depending on the amount of bacon included. What is certain is that by adding bacon to the salad, the fat and calorie content of this preparation will increase significantly. Why not try a soy bacon topping better?

On the other hand, many commercially available bacon toppings are not made from meat. For this reason, they do not offer any nutritional benefits. In fact, certain types of bacon contain salt, trans fats and sugar.

If you want to include something crunchy in your salads, opt for vegetables. Radishes and bell peppers are healthy options.

2. Toast and croutons

When it comes to a diet, toast and croutons are not usually on the list of foods we intend to avoid. However, in addition to being high in calories, they do not provide any nutritional benefits.

Keep in mind that, in general, toast and croutons are toasted in oil, so that they have a more pleasant aroma. As a result, the fat content of these foods increases.

A healthy salad should not contain more than two tablespoons of bread — that is, about two croutons. This amount of bread adds about 100 calories to the salad.

Croutons can be replaced with a tablespoon or two of cereal. Sesame or sunflower seeds are good options. They give the salad a crunchy texture and provide you with the benefits of consuming fiber from whole grains.

3. Frying

Ingredients such as chicken, shrimp or fish are good options if you want to serve a healthy salad — as long as they’re not fried. However, when prepared in this way, these ingredients have a high fat and calorie content. It doesn’t matter if they are fried in healthy oils or not.

If you are serving food in the city, an easy way to avoid frying is to read the menu carefully. In general, dishes described with adjectives such as “crunchy” or “breaded” are almost always fried.

Asian salads usually contain fried wonton. If you are not sure if a certain ingredient is fried or not, ask the chef not to include it in your salad. Another possibility is to ask him to replace the ingredient with a grilled one.

4. Creamy dressings

Even if your salad is full of healthy and nutritious ingredients, improper dressing can make it harmful. If you can’t believe it, here is the calorie content of two of the most popular dressing rooms:

• Moldy cheese: 146 calories and 15 g of fat
• Ranch dressing: 126 calories and 14 g of fat

Low-fat dressings are also not very healthy. Most food producers add sugar to them to compensate for the lack of fat. For this reason, a portion (ie 2 tablespoons) of skim dressing contains about 60-80 calories.

To serve a healthy salad, season it with a homemade vinaigrette.

5. Fatty sausages

Processed sausages are not an ingredient to be included in a salad either. Salami is often included in this dish, but did you know that a single thin slice of this sausage contains 43 calories and 3 g of fat?

You may feel that these values ​​are not very high, but keep in mind that a salad can contain between four and five slices of salami. In addition, sausages have a relatively high salt content, which is why they can increase our sodium intake.

Chicken, lean beef and turkey are better options if you want to serve a healthy salad.

6. Glazed meat

Unfortunately, chicken or ham glazed with honey has nothing to look for in a healthy salad. Although they provide a special flavor, they increase our fat intake unnecessarily.

Opt better for dried fruit. We advise you to add small amounts of nuts, cranberries or almonds to your salads. This way, you will be able to enjoy the aroma and benefits of dried fruits, without worrying about calories and sugar.

7. Cheese

Do not worry! Cheese is not necessarily a harmful ingredient — as long as you opt for a low-fat assortment. Unfortunately, popular options such as cheese are sources of saturated fat.

The most important thing is to know exactly how much cheese the salad you serve contains. In general, however, it is better to avoid this ingredient.

However, if you decide to serve a cheese salad, make sure that this food is “genuine”. In other words, the cheese should not contain additives that alter its taste and calories without nutritional value.

A serving of salad should contain no more than 28 g (ie 1 ounce) of cheese. You can use a digital kitchen scale to make sure you add the right amount.

If you want to lose weight, make salads at home. Get involved in preparing the food you eat so that you know exactly how many calories it contains. Combine this habit with exercise and consult your doctor before changing your daily routine in a major way.