Dark greens contain more vitamin A, nutrients
By Dana Benson
Salads can be a smart part of any diet, but be sure to select the most nutritious variety of lettuce and watch out for high-calorie toppings that can ruin the benefits, said a Baylor College of Medicine dietician.
"It's a good idea to eat a salad before your meal because the fiber helps fill you up and that can modify how hungry you are," said Dr. Rebecca Reeves, assistant professor of medicine at BCM and a registered dietitian.
Lettuce varieties
In some ways, all lettuce is much the same. Iceberg, romaine, loose leaf and butter lettuce all contain a lot of water and a comparable amount of calories – about 5 calories per half-cup shredded lettuce. But when preparing a salad, select darker lettuce because it contains more nutrients.
Dark green lettuce is a good source of vitamin A as well as some antioxidants.
An even better choice for salads is spinach. It's higher in fiber and contains iron, potassium and vitamins A and C.
"Spinach is more nutritionally adequate than dark green lettuce," Reeves said.
"If you want to eat something even a little better for you than green leafy lettuce, go for spinach or combine them – just throw some in your salad."
Healthy additions
The easiest way to ruin the benefits of lettuce is to load it up with high-calorie additions. Topping salad with creamy salad dressing, nuts, avocado, cheese and croutons will neutralize that caloric advantage of lettuce and spinach, Reeves said.
She advises:
- Using a low-fat or fat-free dressing or a small amount of oil plus vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- Ordering dressing on the side
- Dipping a biteful of salad into dressing rather than pouring it over the top
- Avoiding high-calorie toppings
- Using fresh squeezed lemon juice rather than dressing
"Be especially careful about what you add to a salad. Load up on bell peppers, onions, carrots and other vegetables that are low-calorie," Reeves said. "If you can do that, then I say eat salad, and eat a lot of it."
