The Many Faces of Salad Dressings

hanun — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:50:12 +0000

Whenever it’s already salad time, people will begin to ready the key ingredients to complete the meal. Every recipe for salad includes lettuce and other vegetables, cheese, bacon bits and croutons. And to top it all off, the final recipe to flavor-up the salad – the dressing. Nowadays though, there are just so many salad dressings to choose from, so let us tackle some of them to help you decide on what to use for your salad.

No salad is complete without the dressing and frankly, I don’t know anyone who’ll eat a salad without it. In fact, when it comes to applying dressing, people mostly go into extremes. This is perfectly fine if you’re not overly concerned with health or weight, but if you want to trim down on those fats, you need to be choosy on what you put on your salad.

There’s no need to worry though since the choice for salad dressings is vast. Just take a look at any salad section of a grocery store and you’ll find lots of them adorned with their brands. Each brand will span into different flavors too and it’s quite confusing on what to choose to perfectly complement your meal. It’s easy to say that the sky is the limit, unless if you’re planning to prepare a specific type of salad, because sometimes a certain salad type can only go with a specific flavor of dressing too.

For instance, if you’re going for some Caesar salad, you wouldn’t think of any other dressing than the Caesar style. That’s quite obvious, just like partnering a Cobb salad with some tasty Green Goddess dressing. Bottom line is that sometimes, in order for you to recreate that fancy restaurant taste for your salad, you just have to follow the norm of using its partner salad dressing because most of the time, it’s better that way.

I can’t blame you for being creative too and in fact, I highly suggest experimenting with your dressing decisions. With all the salad dressing choices in the grocery, you just have to trust your gut and your taste buds on what you think will do the trick. You may make mistakes in choosing, but the rewards are definitely greater when you find a combination that you’ll always enjoy.

Salads are originally meant to be a healthy alternative meal. When we’re talking about dressings though, most of the time, health is compromised. You have to admit, you’ll rather want to smother your whole salad with some tasty dressing than just putting in a small amount. It’s still a fact that in eating, we would mind the taste more than the health factor.

Read the label – this same rule applies when choosing a healthy dressing. Your recipe for salad should consist of correct measurements too if you want to monitor calorie intake. About 2 tablespoons of dressing will do, really. That’s already 11 grams of fat, but it can be worse off if you don’t measure.

You can also search for healthier salad dressings in the grocery like those low fat or low calorie ones aligned with the regular ones on the same isle. These alternatives are very famous for health conscious individuals. The taste of these products is nearly the same and the price doesn’t really vary much, making them worth the difference for your health and weight efforts.

Of course, for the ultimate experiment, why not try making your own version of your favorite dressing at home? Olive or canola oil can be the building block of a wonderful home-made dressing. Put in some vinegar, add some lemon, pepper and other spices to taste, and amaze yourself with your own salad dressing creation.

Healthy Fast Food: Easy Guidelines for Choosing the Best Fast Food

hanun — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:00:01 +0000

Fast food is quick and easy and, with all the new dollar menus, it can be an affordable option, too. But eating too much of the wrong kind of fast food can be unhealthy, with loads of saturated fat and extra calories.

Use these simple guidelines to easily choose the healthiest choices from each fast food menu.

Salads tend to be among the healthiest options, as long as you aren’t slathering on the dressing. Some salad dressings contain just as many calories and fat grams as some of the more obvious diet wreckers. Take a look at the nutrition information on the dressing packet before you squirt it on your salad.

Another hint: Try squeezing the dressing on the side and dipping just your fork into the dressing before each bite. That is a great way to control the amount of dressing you are consuming.

Healthy fast food does not mean you are restricted to salads alone. There are lots of other options that are just as tasty and filling. You just need to recognize what is good and what is not:

Try to avoid anything that has been deep fried in oil. French fries and chicken nuggets are not health foods.

Avoid creamy sauces and loads of toppings, such as mayonnaise and extra helpings of cheese. Ask for extra vegetables, such as tomatoes and lettuce, instead.

If you’re in a sub sandwich shop, substitute wheat bread for white bread, go easy on the meat and cheese and load up on vegetables. Skip the oil and the mayonnaise. And keep in mind that mustard adds a lot of flavor without the calories of mayo.

When ordering soups, opt for a soup with a clear broth instead of the cream-based variety.

Eat reasonable portions. Do not supersize or upsize anything. If you do, you’ll be eating far more than one serving. Avoid double burgers and burgers with a lot of extras, except vegetables.

Make a conscious effort to slow down when you are eating. Fast food restaurants tend to be loud places where everyone is in a hurry, which are two factors that can lead to eating too fast. When we eat too fast, we tend to eat way more calories because we keep eating past the point of satiety. Chew each bite ten to twenty times and put down your hamburger (or your fork) between each bite. When you feel full, stop eating.

You can also cut a lot of calories by opting for water or unsweetened iced tea, instead of a 16 ounce (or larger) soda or lemonade.

In general, your best choices for healthy fast food are either a salad with minimal dressing, a small burger with no cheese, a grilled chicken sandwich, or a submarine sandwich on wheat bread.

Many fast food restaurants are making an effort to provide healthy options. Experiment with new foods and see if you can find new favorites instead of your standard burger with fries and a soda.

Stop The Junk Food » Lettuce

The Many Faces of Salad Dressings

Healthy Fast Food: Easy Guidelines for Choosing the Best Fast Food