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Salad Bar Tips

You order the salad bar because it is the healthiest option available, right? But be careful--salad bars are stocked with things that can turn an otherwise healthy meal into your biggest diet buster. When building your own salad from the salad bar, there are a few things you should know: First, what you should absolutely put on your plate, and second, what you should never put on your plate.

  1. Foods To Put on Your Plate

    • Most people start with the greens when building a salad, but all salad greens are not the same. Iceberg lettuce tends to be the most popular but is a "won't hurt ya or help ya" kind of food. So go for the greenest, leafiest salad green available, such as romaine or spinach. Both are full of vitamins and minerals like fiber and vitamin C. Other items that should be included are carrots (beta-carotene), broccoli (calcium, vitamin C, fiber), tomatoes (lycopene), sprouts, cucumbers, cauliflower, chickpeas and hard boiled egg. Fresh fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, grapes and melons are good options.

    Foods You Should Never Put on Your Plate

    • Foods to avoid when standing at a salad bar would be olives, since they are full of fat and calories.--it won't hurt your heart but it won't do you much good either. Pasta and potato salads are full of both fat and calories and will only harm to your waistline. Bacon bits, Chinese noodles, croutons and salted nuts should be avoided--they're packed with sodium and fat. Jellos and puddings are tempting to put on the side of your salad but have no nutritional value and are loaded with sugar. Avoid fruits that are drenched in syrups such as pears and peaches.

    Dressings

    • Dressings can be a healthy salad's biggest downfall, because they can be high in calories and fat. For example, ranch dressing has 147 calories and 16 grams of fat per serving (two tablespoons). Thousand Island dressing has 140 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving, and dressings such as blue cheese and oil dressings are even higher. To avoid the dressing downfall, use fat free dressings or try squeezing fresh lemon juice mixed with a little olive oil over your salad.

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