Salads are a go-to healthy food many people turn to when they’re trying to lose weight—and for good reason! They’re a great way to load up on veggies, protein, and nutrients. However, adding the wrong ingredients to your salad on a regular basis can detract from all of those healthy toppings and make it difficult to lose weight in the long run. There are several unhealthy, fattening foods you should never put in your salad if you want to slim down.
To learn more about the worst salad ingredients for weight loss, we spoke to dietitians Dr. Amy Lee, Chief Medical Officer of the Lindora Clinic, Kiran Campbell, RD and Melissa Mitri RD, MS for FinnvsFin.com. They told us about two popular additions that you should steer clear of: croutons and ranch dressing.
Croutons
Who doesn't love a good crouton-loaded salad? They're crunchy, deliciously seasoned, and practically addicting. However, Dr. Lee warns that if you're eating a salad in order to stay healthy and lose weight, adding this ingredient could throw your goals completely off track. This is because "they are typically packed with carbohydrates and [hinder] the body from burning fat." Say it ain't so!
In fact, the very reason croutons are so delicious is also a major reason that they can be so detrimental to your overall health. All of that seasoning and sodium is a no-go when it comes to weight loss. "Typically, they are [filled] with preservatives and ingredients that can be inflammatory to the body and likely [loaded] with salt," Dr. Lee explains.
If you still want to add a little something extra to your salad to bring some more texture and additional flavor, there are plenty of other healthier toppings to consider. Dr. Lee recommends choosing nuts or dried fruits, which are both far more nutritious and will aid you on your weight loss journey.
ranch-dressing-salad
Ranch dressing
In addition to crunchy, carb-loaded croutons, you should also be wary of the type of dressing you're putting on your salad if you want to lose weight. Unfortunately, one of the worst options is one of America's favorites: ranch dressing.
This creamy sauce is one of the most fattening ingredients you can put on your salad. "Just a 2 tablespoon serving packs about 129 calories, 12 grams of total fat, and almost 3 grams of saturated fat," Mitri points out. Yikes!
But drizzling this dressing on your greens isn't just a bad idea because of the fat content. "It also adds sodium, sugar, saturated fat, and cholesterol," Campbell warns, noting that "the higher the intake of these harmful constituents, the higher one's risk of developing weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, gastrointestinal issues, and even depression." We don't know about you, but those are some serious health complications we'd rather not risk for a tasty dip.
If you're looking for the best low-fat alternative to keep your salad tasting delicious without putting your health on the line, there are many simple solutions. Mitri says a great-tasting dressing is easy to whip up on your own. "Opt for a simple olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice," she says. Yum! We can't wait to try it for ourselves.
