“Is My Salad Making Me Fat?”

It’s Sunday and like every week I am in the kitchen, rigorously planning meals in prep for the busy week to come.  As a working mom I have definitely learned that if we don’t have planned out meals and even some prepped ahead of time, Fast Food becomes our family’s best friend. Well for several months now I have been taking Sunday afternoons to make a weekly meal plan and it has been an amazing positive impact on our budget as well as our eating habits.

In support of my healthy eating habits my husband has committed to Eating Salad at least once a day.  OK Trend Tip moms this is where the funny part comes in- My husbands idea of Eating Salad is a head of lettuce topped with a lb of cheese, bacon bits , croutons and don’t let me forget the container of buttermilk ranch.   How can he always find a way to make any healthy menu items rich with fat and preservatives?  It got me thinking so of course I let my fingers do some research and came across a few great articles that I thought were Perfect in title and content and had to share with all the other Salad eating Trendy Mom’s out there: “Is My Salad Making Me Fat?”  Well whether you choose vinaigrette that’s loaded with oil or add an overly generous sprinkling of honey-toasted nuts, it’s easy to pile on extra fat and calories without even realizing it. One of the pieces I read mentions that several restaurant salad with dressing can even have as many as 1,000 calories.

The great article I read is by Carly Young – Special to Life Script – I hope you like the article as much as I did.  “Is My Salad Making Me Fat?”

Although salads are usually perceived as healthy diet food, piling extra goodies on top of your greens can wreck havoc on any healthy eating plan. Mounds of dressing, endless chunks of full-fat cheese and a slew of greasy bacon bits won’t help you shrink your waistline. If you want a salad that’s truly good for you, make sure you use the right combination of ingredients. First, start with your base – spinach, romaine lettuce, chicory, and arugula are all great choices. If you can’t decide on just one to choose, then don’t. Create a mixture of several leafy greens to surprise your taste buds with an unexpected combination of flavors and textures. Next, add some protein. Grilled chicken, egg whites, walnuts, lentils, and tofu are all delicious. A real protein superstar is salmon, which is packed with heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids. To keep your salads interesting, try using different marinades on cooked meats or tofu (you can bake or grill the tofu beforehand or just use the raw cubes). One day, coat chicken in lemon juice before grilling and throw it onto your greens. The next day, try marinating tofu in a soy-ginger chili sauce to add some extra zing. While you should limit the serving of protein to 3 ounces, you have license to go wild with extra fruits and veggies. Throw on cherry tomatoes, apple slices, shredded carrots, mushrooms, beets, and grapes with abandon. Their high fiber content will keep you full, and their antioxidants will fight free radical damage. To ensure that you have the optimal amount of antioxidants, take a look at the color of your salad. If it’s a beautiful mixture of color, then you’re good to go. Next, it’s time to add dressing, the finishing touch. Since fats help keep your salad healthy, don’t think your only choices are tasteless, non-fat dressings. Olive oil, low-fat ranch, low-fat Italian, and balsamic vinaigrette are all good choices. Now the only thing left to do? Dig in and congratulate yourself for making a food choice that will benefit your body, mind and waist!

Other great support articles can be found on:

·         http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Diet/Diet-tips

·         http://eating.health.com

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Everyone is seeing a hit to the pockets and purses these days with the increase in prices for food and fuel.  Eating Healthy can still be economical and it eating out less and make more meals at home can be the key.

Eating out may be easier but it creates an opportunity for you to indulge in foods that aren’t exactly on the healthy list. Take advantage of the healthy benefits of Home-cooked meals, it will help to save money and create a healthier diet for you and your family.

It’s easy to get started on your Home Cooked Meal kick. Pick out some favorite recipes, face it these days there are so many ways to find healthy recipes online you have no excuses. Now use some of the tips here to start thinking of healthier alternatives to substitute for standard ingredients in the recipe.  Use some of the suggestions below, and your boring cooking will have an added but healthier kick. Before you know it the family won’t be begging to go out to eat but they’ll be begging you for another helping. 

1. Whole grains.It’s easy to replace white-flour pastas and white rice with wheat pastas, brown rice, wild rice, bulgur, barley, or quinoa and your family won’t even notice. You can also replace half or more of the white flour in a recipe with whole-wheat flour what a healthy difference it will make.
2. Portions - smaller amounts. Often you can reduce the amounts of oil, sugar, and salt that a recipe calls for — and no one will know the difference. Don’t forget you can use other, healthier seasonings and extracts to add more flavor.
3. Low-fat. Choose lean cuts of meat, or go vegetarian alternatives – Tofu.
4. Low Fat Dairy products – slim and skim. When it comes to dairy products, choose low-fat versions of milk, cheeses, or yogurts.
5. Vegetables and Fruits. When a recipe calls for veggies or fruits don’t skimp in fact, don’t be afraid to add more. Even if a recipe doesn’t call for veggies, add them any way. Veggies can add the added nutrition you need as well as additional color for pazaz.
6. Substitutions. Did you know that you can sometimes use apple sauce as a replacement for butter or oil in recipes for baked goods? Egg whites instead of full eggs or wine, vinegar, or broth in place of oil for cooking.
7. The most important thing is to be creative and add some of your favorite’s recipes to create healthier meals.

For more information on tips like this or others on how to save money when shopping visit Hip and Healthy or Hip Home Maker.

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