Super Salad: Build a Better Salad Today

Salad bars are the latest craze. Just because its on the menu doesn’t mean that it’s a healthy option. Hiding within all the nutritional bounty are some pretty evil add ins.

Use this guide to build a better salad on your next visit to the salad bar:

#’s reflect calories per average serving

Source: www.justsalad.com

 

Let’s start with your base:

c  Arugula: 28

c  Iceberg: 6

c  Mesclun: 35

c  Romaine: 18

c  Spinach: 26

While iceberg is the least caloric, spinach and romaine pack a higher nutritional bang despite their higher calorie counts.

Add Ins:

 

c  Artichoke hearts: 20

c  Asparagus: 8

c  Avocado: 65

c  Beans (varied): 105

c  Beets: 20

c  Broccoli: 20

c  Butternut squash: 30

c  Carrots: 30

c  Celery: 8

c  Corn: 60

c  Cranberry: 95

c  Cucumbers: 8

c  Edamame: 75

c  Eggplant: 40

c  Grape Tomatoes: 20

c  Green peppers: 10

c  Hearst of palm: 20

c  Lentils: 70

c  Mandarin oranges: 25

c  Portabella mushroom: 15

c  Radish: 8

c  Red onions: 15

c  Roasted red peppers: 25

c  String beans: 15

c  Sun dried tomatoes: 95

c  White mushroom: 6

Aim to spend 100-150 calories on add ins by sticking with hearty, low calorie vegetables that pack a high nutritional buck. Remember: Colorful = Nutrient-ful!

Not all Proteins are created equal:

c  Blue cheese: 165

Egg Whites = Protein Powerhouses

c  Cheddar: 160

c  Egg whites: 20

c  Feta: 100

c  Goat cheese: 60

c  Grilled chicken: 150

c  Hardboiled egg: 85

c  Hummus: 80

c  Mozzarella: 115

c  Parmesan: 100

c  Tofu: 60

c  Tuna (nonmayo): 75

Watch: cheese portions 

Pile on: eggs whites

 

Toppings:

c  Croutons: 120

c  Crushed chips: 100

c  Pumpkin seeds:  70

c  Tortilla strips: 110

c  Walnuts: 160

Steer clear of loading up on these crunchies. Choose seeds and nuts over fried bread (aka tortilla strips and croutons).

 

Dressings:

c  Balsamic vinaigrette: 220 (SUPER SHOCKER!!)

c  Balsamic Vinegar: 10

c  Caesar: 150

c  Olive oil: 240

c  Ranch: 150

Safest bets: BYO, mustard or balsamic vinegar

Super Seasonings: Decoding Condiments

Burgers, fries, hot dogs, pasta, etc. just wouldn’t be complete without some flavorful condiments. But some of these add on’s add up to a boat load of calories.

Here’s a roundup of 3 favorite condiments:

Ketchup
Serving Size: 1 tbsp Calories: 15

Ketchup seems pretty reasonable at only 15 cals per 1 tbsp. Considering that a tablespoon is about the size of your thumb and most people eat about 4-5x that just with an order of fries, you’re looking at factoring in an additional 60 to 75 calories to your calorie tally. Don’t forget that most ketchups contain high fructose corn syrup ( = BAD ).

Try ketchup’s superior relative – Salsa.

Salsa

Serving size: 1 tbsp Calories: 4

Salsa has an added fiber and protein bonus

Make your own healthy salsas

Mayonnaise
Serving Size: 1 tbsp Calories: 90

Ten grams of fat. Period.  And again, the likelihood of using just a single serving size is slim.

For the same creamy texture, try light mayonnaise, low fat mayonnaise or even mashed avocado.

Light Mayonnaise

Serving Size: 1 tbsp Calories: 35

Low Fat Mayonnaise

Serving Size:1 tbsp Calories: 15

Avocado

Serving Size: 1/4 of avocado Calories: 70

Click here for some healthy avocado recipes

Sour Cream
Serving Size: 1 tbsp Calories: 30

Try dolloping plain Greek yogurt on potatoes for the same tart and tangy taste but fewer calories and a higher protein count.

Plain Greek Yogurt

Serving Size: 1 tbsp Calories: 8

Learn why yogurt is an awesome ingredient in these recipes

Super Shockers: Cinnamon Buns

Ooey gooey sticky licky sugary sweet heaven…Cinnamon buns!
Pass by one of these and you cant resist their delicious scent.

BUT an average sized Cinnamon Bun + icing: 620–846 calories

Did you know that you would have to: 

Walk for 180-240 minutes*

                OR

Swim for 120-180 minutes*

                OR

Bike for 240-300 mins*

*estimations based on 130 lb person

Healthy alternatives: 

Cinnamon raison English muffins = 120 calories
Cinnamon raison bagel thins = 110 calories

To try: 

Toast a slice of whole grain bread with cinnamon, butter mist and a pinch of brown sugar

Other cinnamon finds: 

Cinnamon cereal
Cinnamon bars

Cinnamon chips 

Super Side Swap: Mashed Potatoes

What goes best with beef?

Mashed potatoes.

But mashed potatoes: Seemingly innocent. Deceptively caloric.

What to do, what to do?

SWAP.

We love healthy swaps for fattening dishes so here is another great swap that adds a boost of vitamins and minerals to plain, old MASHED POTATOES…CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES. This is the easiest recipe that you can make in a MICROWAVE!!

Finished Product

Prep time: <5 mins Cook time: <8 mins Ready in: 15 mins

RECIPE: CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES

1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 head cauliflower cut into florets

2 cups water

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 clove crushed garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Place the potato cubes and cauliflower florets in a microwave safe dish. Cover dish. Microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes or until the potatoes are done. Carefully remove dish. Place the potatoes and cauliflower into a large bowl and mash until there are no lumps. Add olive oil, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well. EAT.

When out to eat avoid heaping mounds of mashed potatoes. They hide pools of butter, margarine and/or oil. Ask the server how they were prepared. If the situation sounds caloric, stick with a baked white or sweet potato as a side.

Super Meat: Choosing the Right Type of Meat

For many dieters, red meat is totally off limits. BUT meat can be a great source of protein, zinc, selenium, iron, and B vitamins. The problem comes from people choosing the wrong types of beef.

While we’re not such fans of the hunky chunks, if you have a hankering for some meat here are a few smarter options to chow down on:

• Roasts 
• Rounds of steaks 
• Top sirloin 
• Bison 
• Extra-lean ground beef for burgers 
• Grass fed beef (difficult to find in many restaurants) 

These are the big NO NOs. Meats to avoid: 

• Heavily processed and high fat meats like hot dogs, salami, bologna and frozen meats 
• Burgers that are more fat than ground beef 
• Meat that is streaked with fat. Visible fat = major calories, saturated fat and cholesterol 

Not at a restaurant? Cooking yourself? Firstly, bravo! Secondly, best ways of cooking your meat:

• Grilling 
• Broiling 
• Roasting 
• Baking

As a general rule, keep the portion of your meat to 3-4 oz. which is about the size of your fist or a deck of cards. 

The average restaurant sized portion of meat is 10 oz!! So when you’re out to eat try these tips to avoid a heart attack meal:

• Split your dish with someone else 
• Eat half and brown bag the rest 
• Order an appetizer sized meat and a large salad and make your own meat salad 
• Order a small sized piece and sandwich your steak with a slice of bread from the bread basket

Remember meat can be good just steer clear of the Fred Flintstone sized brontosaurus T bones!

Super Slimmers: Occasional Dieter

Find yourself saying: "I have to lose X lbs by this wedding, formal, party, reunion etc."


Diagnosis: You are an occassional dieter


You enjoy: Dieting based on events. What ever is coming up on your social calendar, dictates your diet routine. There may be some weeks with no engagements and out goes the diet. Then there will be the weeks where your literally starving yourself to shed last minute pounds.


Things to avoid: Food/drinks that bloat. A lot of people think that the best way to lose weght quickly before a big event is to just gorge on vegetables, but they dont realize that vegetables retain water, making you look like you've gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time. Some other bloaters are fake sugars, heavily processed foods, high sodium foods, dairy, and fiber filled foods. Drinking with a straw also will bloat you because you inhale more air as you swallow.

Eat: 1) WATER. Flush out calories and sodium with drinking lots of water. Of course don't go overboard with this, but increase your water intake just a bit to decrease your bloat.

2) Make sure to have the same number of calories and nutrients but limit portions. Almonds, avocados, olive oil, peanut butter etc. are all foods that come in small packages but pack a powerful bang of nutrients. By curbing the size of foods but retaining the same amount of nutrients you should prevent your stomach from expanding too much and filling out. 

3) Up the ante on foods rich in Calcium which naturally decreases bloating -- foods like yogurts, grains and fish.

If you know yourself, you know that you will not lose major pounds in the 3-4 days or even 1-2 weeks before a major event. However, you can healthily monitor your water retention so that you're debloated and ready to rock out!

Super Picks: Soy Crisps

What were loving today...Glenny's Multigrain Soy Crisps

With over 18 grams of whole grains, an impressive 6 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber and just 2 grams of fat in a perfectly portioned 120 calorie single serving bag, this delectible treat will replace any 'ole potato chip.

Looking to pair your crisps with something sweet?

Evenly spread 1 tbsp of all natural peanut butter (avoid the ones that have various preservatives) on to your circle crisps.

OR

Melt 20 chocolate chips in a microwave for 1-2 mins (making sure to stir every 30 seconds to prevent burning) and drizzle on to crisps.

Looking to pair your crisps with something savory?

Try smearing 1-2 oz of cheese (preferably Goat or the Laughing Cow Light Spreadable Cheese - both low in fat and calories) on to your crisps.

Check out the rest of Glenny's line of Soy Crisps and other flavorful products here.