Salad based diets are unnecessarily glorified

“I am counting my calories; Salad all the way”

We all have been there to be honest. Continuous information explosion over the years on how salad is great for detox, a great source of complex carbs and fibre has led us to think that salad is low in calories. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Why I say that?

Let us take a look at the typical salads we are served at restaurants worldwide:

1. Waldorf Chicken Salad – 1370 Calories
2. Chipotle Yucatan Chicken Salad – 860 Calories
3. Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad – 1100 Calories
4. Fried Chicken Salad – 1120 Calories
5. Santa Fe Chicken Salad – 1280 Calories
6. Crispy Chicken Tender Salad – 1450 Calories
7. Quesadilla Explosion Salad – 1250 Calories
8. Carolina Chicken Salad – 1100 Calories
9. Chicken and Bacon Caesar Salad – 830 Calories
10. Mezze Vegetarian Salad – 1292 Calories

You may be better off eating 2 McD Burgers which is around 1080 Calories…. Please Don’t!!!

It’s all in the dressing you use to make your salad tasty. Watch what you mix in your salad, you may be unconsciously ruining your diet by choosing high calorie dressings and add-ons.

“Oh this salad is the best salad ever… Yey!”

Ok, we get it, you either love eating salad or you are convincing yourself that salad is exciting, whatever works for you. The fact is that few people do love eating salad and that’s great. However, most of the people avoid eating salad on its own regularly, since it can’t be tasty and low in calorie at the same time. Eating salad doesn’t come naturally for most of the people due to cultural habits or social pressure.

“Eating salad is going to meet all my nutritional needs”

Let’s see, the most common vegetables used in salads are Cucumbers, Radishes, iceberg lettuce, eggplant and celery. These are one of the least rated nutritious vegetables in the 27 common food eaten around the world according to Charles Benbrook and Donald Davis who conducted a research on the nutritional value of vegetables.

The reason most is that these vegetables mostly constitute of water. Yes, it does make you full for a while, but you will feel hungry soon after.

Note: Ideal vegetables to be included into your diet are, dark leafy vegetables such as spinach and arugula. Mix fruits into your salads such as grapes and tomatoes. Other vegetables such as Broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic and onions are also high in nutritional value.

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So!!!

Simply put, don’t be fooled by the latest and greatest diets. There is no magic pill to reach your fitness goals. Salad diet is just another fad. Salad is as good as any other food and treat it as another recipe to reach your fitness goal along with others.

Macro-nutrients are equally applicable and imperative for any form diet.

EAT responsibly, EXERCISE willingly, HYDRATE heartily and REST blissfully….!!!!

 

<<< PEACE OUT >>>

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