The unhealthy side of salad

[webfact]

The unhealthy side of salad

By Special to The Nation

 

 

Beware of fat-laden ingredients like cheese and noodles and sweet creamy dressings

 

A salad often seems like a healthy choice, but many are loaded with high calorie ingredients.

 

When we think of a salad, we often picture a beautiful bowl of leafy greens tossed with other colourful veggies like orange carrots, purple onions, bright red tomatoes and yellow bell peppers. A salad like that is the picture of health. But there’s an unhealthy side to salad, too. The term salad is used so loosely these days almost anything tossed together in a bowl can be a salad, as long as there’s something coating it, flavouring it or holding it together.

 

Some salads on restaurant menus have nary a veggie in sight—just an overload of meat, cheese and heavy dressing. Some salads start out with good intentions, in the form of leafy greens and mixed veggies. But then they’re loaded down with crispy noodles, fried chicken strips, cheese or bacon. And if you were to eat at your favourite restaurant with a buffet salad bar, chances are you’ll go for the standard cream dressing that is delicious, although on the sweet side.

 

The problem with many salads is that they’re loaded down with fat, so it helps to know where all that fat is coming from. 

 

Nutritionist Susan Bowerman offers some tips for choosing a salad that is both delicious and good for you.

 

 Ditch the fatty proteins. When you see the word “crispy,” as in crispy chicken strips, it’s just a nicer way of saying “fried.” So, if you’re having a salad with protein in it, look for salads containing chicken, shrimp or fish that’s grilled rather than fried. And watch out for other high calorie proteins, too. Foods like sausages or fatty cold cuts often make their way into salads.

 

 Avoid high-fat extras. Many restaurant salads are overloaded with lots of extras that can make the calorie count soar. These fatty calorie bombs include cheese, bacon, fried tortilla strips, crispy fried noodles, onion rings, sour cream and oily croutons.

 

 Choose dressings carefully and use sparingly. Dressings are one of the quickest ways to undo the nutritional value of a healthy salad. Creamy or cheesy dressings can cost you 75 calories per tablespoon, and many restaurants serve as much as eight times that amount. And since that’s what we’re given, many of us assume that’s a normal portion. But few of us can, or should, afford the additional calories and fat that a half-cup of creamy dressing adds to the mix. Always order your dressing on the side, and choose lighter vinaigrettes over creamy dressings. Also, try the fork-dip method: dip your fork into your dressing, take a stab at your salad and repeat. You’ll get a little taste of dressing with each bite, but you’ll be surprised at how little you actually use.

 

A salad with lettuce, grilled chicken, a few spoons of black beans, a dab of guacamole and some salsa can be a healthy choice. And it will probably only cost you about 400 calories. 

 

But get your salad fully loaded with creamy dressing and served in a fried tortilla shell, and the calorie count triples to more than 1,200.

 

Similarly, a shredded chicken salad might sound healthy, since it usually includes just greens, and chicken breast. But it’s the huge amount of creamy dressing that sends the fat and calorie count soaring. Keep your dressing portion to around a tablespoon, and you’re looking at a reasonable number of calories. For example, a serving of Caesar salad contains bacon, cheese and croutons, so be aware of the calorie count. If you eat the salad as the restaurant serves it, you’d be eating more than 1,000 calories. That’s the fat equivalent of a huge slice of cheesecake and large fries.

 

“When it comes to choosing a salad, the bottom line is this: just because a dish is called a salad, doesn’t automatically make it healthy. So, don’t let the word salad sway you. When making your choice, pay a little less attention to what it’s called and a lot more attention to what’s in it,” Bowerman says. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/lifestyle/30327072

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-21

 

[connda]

Hey, better than not eating any salad at all.  

[phantomfiddler]

Better not eat anything that tastes good :)

[manarak]

hmmm... I was ready to take on myself the public humiliation of ordering a salad, and now I am denied the small consolation of having adequate bacon, cheese and oils in it to be able to enjoy it? oh my

life is hard

Edited September 21, 2017 by manarak

[lanng khao]

Tossers..

[Speedo1968]

I am a vegan for many years ( loved cheese on salad when I ate that ).

You can of course use soy cheese.

A vegetable, fruit, nut salad can be fine with a dressing of olive and balsamic.

Some Sizzler places offer these.

Of course you can always drip some yoghurt, strawberry is good I am told.

 

My concern over salad is how the vegetables are washed, the total lack of any taste in most vegetables grown here, hydroponic or soil, ( unless you put them in a very cold fridge for a week to increase sugars especially in carrot ).

 

If you are in Bangkok try the Lebanese restaurant near Sukhamvit Soi 2 for good salads.

[bleble]

On 9/22/2017 at 3:26 PM, Speedo1968 said:

I am a vegan for many years ( loved cheese on salad when I ate that ).

You can of course use soy cheese.

A vegetable, fruit, nut salad can be fine with a dressing of olive and balsamic.

Some Sizzler places offer these.

Of course you can always drip some yoghurt, strawberry is good I am told.

 

My concern over salad is how the vegetables are washed, the total lack of any taste in most vegetables grown here, hydroponic or soil, ( unless you put them in a very cold fridge for a week to increase sugars especially in carrot ).

 

If you are in Bangkok try the Lebanese restaurant near Sukhamvit Soi 2 for good salads.

 

Where do you buy soy cheese ?

The cheese at sizzler is also vegan, because it's cheaper it is made only with oil and without milk.

 

 

 

[xylophone]

On ‎22‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 3:26 PM, Speedo1968 said:

A vegetable, fruit, nut salad can be fine with a dressing of olive and balsamic.

Agree, and my salad often consists of raw broccoli, a grape or two, or cape gooseberries (or similar) with perhaps a little feta cheese and good extra virgin olive oil with Balsamic vinegar.......it's my main course which is often unhealthy!!!!

[tutsiwarrior]

5 hours ago, xylophone said:

Agree, and my salad often consists of raw broccoli, a grape or two, or cape gooseberries (or similar) with perhaps a little feta cheese and good extra virgin olive oil with Balsamic vinegar.......it's my main course which is often unhealthy!!!!

 

but that broccoli probably comes from China and they use human excrement fer fertilizer...eeeewwww!

 

no matter...all of us havta eat shit at one time or another...one of my favorites is vinegar + salt marinated fresh broccoli with oil, garlic, cumin and sesame oil and dried flaked red chile dressing...got some on the go in the fridge right now...chop it up and roll up in a homade flour tortilla fer brekkie...just right...

 

 

[Rhys]

Beans....blazing saddles

[tutsiwarrior]

5 hours ago, Rhys said:

Beans....blazing saddles

 

yeah...very nice and beans have lotsa fiber that result in a good bowel movement and not just the 'promise' of flatulence...

 

most of us up in nakhon nowhere havta make do with dried beans and makes no sense to soak and cook them fer hours to make a bean salad...however, my local makro now has canned red kidneys and garbanzos which if combined with the fresh long green beans from the market (steamed) would do the trick...with lotsa chopped spring onions and a garlicky vinaigrette...

 

 

[robertthebruce]

 

Always when I order Salad in Thailand , I always say NO DRESSING..., as dressings here are Revolting to say the least and are laden with Sugar and Cream,,,,

 

i prefer Olive Oil....so much better for you...

 

but this is me...might not work for anyone else...

 

 

[swissie]

As far as salads/veggies is concerned, I would be more worried about the massive amounts of pesticides that are being applied in LOS.

Some neighbor farmers have a plot where they grow crops for home-consumption without "chems" (accepting a lower yield per rai), but the bulk of the crop, treated with liberal amounts of pesticides, goes "to market". (would not pass inspections in Europe). If even farmers are not eating any of their "market crops", this should tell us something.

Doubtful if the "chems" can be rinsed out by dunking them in water. Not sure, if putting the veggies in your washing-machine before consumption would solve the problem.
So, living on a healthy veggie-diet in Thailand may take place in ones head mainly, but not in reality.
Cheers.

[tutsiwarrior]

don't believe that I've ever seen a western style leafy green salad offered anywhere in Thailand...so I always make me own...and the dressing...

 

to wash the greens before preparation it's useful to have a salad/vegetable spinner to get rid of most of the rinse water (and pesticide residue)...also helps to 'freshen up' the leaves before ye chop them up...these gadgets are not generally available in Thailand but some mail order places might have them...only useful if you make salads frequently...I useta have a collection from all the places I've worked, like trophies, sorta like...

 

'and now, for extreme bravery and perseverance under the harshest of conditions we present this salad spinner...'

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/chefn-salad-spinner-222276.html

 

that lazada price is ridiculous, btw...they never cost more than USD10 in my experience...

 

 

Edited December 10, 2017 by tutsiwarrior

[bleble]

What you need is ozone cleaner for vegetables.

 

 

[Maestro]

Cheese, noodles and cream are healthy nutrients, if not consumed in excess. Especially in Thailand, it is the excessive concentration of herbicides and pesticides in vegetables that is unhealthy. Also, watch out for the sugar and salt in salad dressings.

[torrzent]

One of the strange anomalies is that so many people who eat salad are obese....knew one fat guy who would greedily visit the salad bar 2-3 times to get value for money.  Am guessing he got more calories than if he ate regular foods in moderation.

[Speedo1968]

On 12/9/2017 at 7:39 PM, tutsiwarrior said:

 

but that broccoli probably comes from China and they use human excrement fer fertilizer...eeeewwww!

 

no matter...all of us havta eat shit at one time or another...one of my favorites is vinegar + salt marinated fresh broccoli with oil, garlic, cumin and sesame oil and dried flaked red chile dressing...got some on the go in the fridge right now...chop it up and roll up in a homade flour tortilla fer brekkie...just right...

 

 

Manure from livestock is often used as a fertlizer, just think of all the medications ( inc antibiotics etc ) that may have been given to the animals, especially poultry.

[Speedo1968]

On 12/9/2017 at 12:54 PM, bleble said:

 

Where do you buy soy cheese ?

The cheese at sizzler is also vegan, because it's cheaper it is made only with oil and without milk.

 

 

 

Have seen soy cheese in the past not sure where it was though.

Can't see how Sizzler cheese can be just oil, guess you mean soy milk based and not animal milk based.

[Speedo1968]

On 12/11/2017 at 8:23 AM, torrzent said:

One of the strange anomalies is that so many people who eat salad are obese....knew one fat guy who would greedily visit the salad bar 2-3 times to get value for money.  Am guessing he got more calories than if he ate regular foods in moderation.

Probably what he ate to go with the salad .....

[Speedo1968]

On 12/10/2017 at 1:04 AM, tutsiwarrior said:

 

yeah...very nice and beans have lotsa fiber that result in a good bowel movement and not just the 'promise' of flatulence...

 

most of us up in nakhon nowhere havta make do with dried beans and makes no sense to soak and cook them fer hours to make a bean salad...however, my local makro now has canned red kidneys and garbanzos which if combined with the fresh long green beans from the market (steamed) would do the trick...with lotsa chopped spring onions and a garlicky vinaigrette...

 

 

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, now that you can get canned kidney beans you could make "chili sin carne".   Quick and easy to make main dish.

[tutsiwarrior]

2 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, now that you can get canned kidney beans you could make "chili sin carne".   Quick and easy to make main dish.

 

nah...I like ground beef (from makro) in my chilli, itsa comfort food from way back...

 

but chilli has a lot of interpretations, including vegetarian...but ye don't hear about many of them as it is a masculine cuisine, very texan...

 

chilli con carne with cowboy boots on...there was a famous description inna recent novel somewhere that had a modern day cattle rustler being observed as he prepared a can of Hormel Chilli fer his supper: 'and he cracked in three eggs and shook in a half bottle of tabasco...' if yer gonna be riding the range at night ye need yer nutrition...

 

 

[xylophone]

4 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

I like ground beef (from makro) in my chilli, itsa comfort food from way back...

 

but chilli has a lot of interpretations

Yes indeed, and it is one of my favourite meals here, either wrapped in a tortilla, in a baked potato, or with rice or even spread on the top of a pizza base with a nice load of cheese!

 

Over the years I have been making this I have found many different recipes and think I have just about got it the way I like it and one particular recipe encouraged the use of dark/bitter cocoa powder, which I now sprinkle in when making it.

 

On top of that I use beef stock as well as tomato paste and tinned tomatoes and just a little Thai seasoning sauce, with lots of chilli as I do like my chilli con carne spicy.

 

If I have a little red wine left in the fridge, I might put a good splash of that in the pot – – and of course it's got the other usual ingredients in it.

 

I usually make enough for about eight large servings, seven of which get frozen and one gets eaten on the day. It's basically a staple food of mine and I couldn't be without it.
 

[tutsiwarrior]

41 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Yes indeed, and it is one of my favourite meals here, either wrapped in a tortilla, in a baked potato, or with rice or even spread on the top of a pizza base with a nice load of cheese!

 

Over the years I have been making this I have found many different recipes and think I have just about got it the way I like it and one particular recipe encouraged the use of dark/bitter cocoa powder, which I now sprinkle in when making it.

 

On top of that I use beef stock as well as tomato paste and tinned tomatoes and just a little Thai seasoning sauce, with lots of chilli as I do like my chilli con carne spicy.

 

If I have a little red wine left in the fridge, I might put a good splash of that in the pot – – and of course it's got the other usual ingredients in it.

 

I usually make enough for about eight large servings, seven of which get frozen and one gets eaten on the day. It's basically a staple food of mine and I couldn't be without it.
 

 

I heard that one...in 1976 a neighbor in Venice, CA said: 'come on over, I got somethin' on the stove that yew might like...'

 

and it was real texas chili, all meat (pork and beef) and no beans and one of the most wonderful things that I've ever tasted, a very slow mouth on fire in the szechuan tradition...she was a CA girl and an artist later to pack her bags and move to NYC where her work was exhibited...

 

'I fixed that wheel bearing fer yew babe...what's that?' and as she stood over her easel upon which was a panel of color: 'it's the color of a mourning dove's wing...very pleasing and complex, wouldn't yew say?...'

 

I admired her a lot...and it was to my regret that she never knew of my admiration...

 

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by tutsiwarrior