#Myth: Salad Is Good For You

 
health vs unhealthy

“Want to be healthy? It’s simple, really. Just eat a salad!”

If only it were that easy.

Have you ever noticed that over the years, the portrait of ‘wellness’ has turned into what seems like the image of a person eating a salad, most likely wearing a white T-shirt, outside, sitting next to a macrame cafe, drinking some freshly cold pressed juice? Oh, the glitz and the glam of it all.

While I can easily list out all of the benefits from eating a salad, the truth of the matter is there are instances where choosing a salad might not be the healthiest option on the menu!

Lettuce dive into it.

1. The Dressing

salad dressing

Salads offer us the benefit of getting in plenty of colourful fruits & vegetables that are rich in important nutrients to help nourish our bodies. However, those health benefits can easily be ruined from just the salad dressing alone! 

Commercially-made salad dressings, while tasty and full of variety in-store, also tend to be high in salt, sugar and unhealthy fats…and if we’re not careful enough, the leading cause of a deemed “unhealthy” salad. How tragic !

So be mindful of the amount of dressing you put on your salad. Try opting for an oil-based salad dressing, or simply making your own!


2. The Toppings

salad bar

We’ve all had that experience of entering into a salad bar and being AMAZED (or overwhelmed ?) by the amount of things we can have added into a salad ─ I know I have.

Salad bars tend to offer dozens of different salad toppings to choose from: eggs, bacon, croutons, crispy noodles, grilled chicken, feta, avocado, tuna, pumpkin seeds… “How about… all of them!?”

While these foods are indeed nutritious on their own, the combination of them all (i.e. overdoing it) can easily make for a calorie-dense meal.

Instead, try paying attention to the quantity of toppings you add. Can we still call it a salad? Also, consider the flavour combinations. Do your toppings actually blend well together, or are you just overwhelmed by all the options?


3. The Portion Sizes

salad bowls

Two words: Salad. Bowls. All for one or one to share? The next time you eat a salad, take a moment to notice your own eating habits. If you feel full, don’t force yourself to finish. You can always save the rest for later. Try also pairing your salad with a meal instead of making it your main meal.

Bottom line: Eat a salad for the sake of eating a salad.

It’s important to be a bit more critical in the way that we view foods. Diet culture (a WHOLE other topic) has had quite the influence on modern day society, leading many of us to develop a rather skewed perception towards food. In part, it has made us believe that we should label our foods as “good“ and “bad” ─ when in reality, there’s no such thing. 

Salads are delicious! However, here’s what I think you should keep in mind:

  1. Try making your own salad. This can help you be more mindful of the quality and quantity of the ingredients in your salad.

  2. There are no “healthy” or “unhealthy” foods. There are many ways to eat well! If you eat salad, eat it because you want to, not because you have to.

  3. Don’t glorify “healthy eating”. I’m a strong believer that there is no universal healthy diet. Find the diet that is right for you and makes you feel at your best.

Remember, eating healthy & being healthy looks different for everyone!

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Source(s):

  • https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/

 
Laura NguyenComment