Are Salads A Healthy Choice?

Several months ago I blogged about all the restaurants that now include nutritional information on their menu, or provide a separate nutritional guide. Restaurants include California Pizza Kitchen and Cheesecake Factory. What I discovered was that most salads they offer are NOT healthy choices. They are loaded with saucy dressings, nuts, crunchy won tons or rice sticks, cheese and more. Often a sandwich is a better choice. However, there many steps you can take as a customer to make a better choice.

I ate at the Souplantation last week and had a very healthy salad. I decided I would only eat fresh vegetables from the salad bar. I did not touch the prepared salads. They are loaded with dressing, cheese, and nuts. I piled my plate with everything I like: beets, tomatoes, carrots, kidney beans, radishes, lettuce and a little chopped egg. I used balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil for the dressing. It was a delicious salad for about 200 calories. Compare that to a Chinese Chicken Salad from CPK for over 1,000 calories!

Quizno's offers a Honey Mustard Chicken Regular Chopped Salad. It contains 900 calories and 65 grams of fat! That's unacceptable for a salad.

Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad is even worse. It contains 1,400 calories, including 88 grams of fat. Chili's does have a better option, a small Caribbean Salad with Grilled Chicken, for only 490 calories. I know the Quesadilla Salad probably tastes better, but is it worth 1,000 calories? You're probably better off just ordering a regular quesadilla.

Last night I made my version of Chinese Chicken Salad. I had to fight to keep the calories and fat down. I use a low fat dressing from Feast From the East (available at Los Angeles Costo stores). I had to limit the number of fried chow mein noodles to keep the calories under 400 calories, but it was delicious. Sesame seeds, scallions, 1/4 cup crispy chow mein noodles and 3 ounces of chicken + 1T. of salad dressing made this a delicious salad. The Chinese Chicken Salad from CPK is about 1,000.

It's really quite simple. Sauces are a no no, fresh, uncooked veggies are a yes. Find a low calorie dressing that you like and you can keep salad a healthy choice. One of my favorites is Paul Newman's low fat Balsamic Vinegrette. You can do as I do, and take a small container of your own dressing with you to the restaurant. You'll probably cut out at least 100 calories. So enjoy your salads, just be conscious of all the above potholes that might turn your healthy salad into a fat and sodium loaded meal.