Keep that salad healthy

Are you a salad junkie? There's just something about the consistency of it, the colorful way it's presented on a plate or bowl, and the general feeling of health you feel from eating salad that makes it a lunch meal of choice. But, there may be more going on than meets the eye when it comes to salad, particularly when it comes to being healthy.

First of all, what types of greens are you eating in your salad? If it's iceberg lettuce, you would do well to switch that to either Romaine or red-leaf lettuce, or spinach. That's because iceberg lettuce has almost no nutritional value. More or less, it's a waste of space on your plate.

Second, how much fat is in that dressing? Unless you take a look at the label, you may be surprised that there's far more saturated fat than you thought there was.

And lastly, how much sugar is in that salad? You may have never noticed before, but many salad dressings have quite a bit of sugar added for taste. This, combined with the fact that many dressings also contain sodium benzoate (a chemical preservative that has been linked to ADHD in children in a British study), and your salad has suddenly become a nutrient-free, fat-laden, blood sugar-spiking, possible ADHD causing bowl of destruction.

Okay, so maybe I'm going a bit overboard here. Still, I think the point made was a valid one. Stick to healthier greens, low-fat and low-or-no-sugar dressings, and check the nutritional label for chemical preservatives such as the one mentioned. There ... now it's a healthy meal again!