Dress your salad, don’t drench it.
“The serving size for most store-bought dressings is two tablespoons,” said Hoff. “When you pick up that bottle of ranch or other creamy dressing with calories,” keep in mind that they range upwards of “300 calories per serving.” A good rule of thumb? “Picture just two tablespoons of it [your favorite dressing]” when you reach for the toppers, she advised.
While you may be asking yourself, “’Will it even cover your salad?,” according to Hoff, “most people use more than the recommended serving size with thicker dressings.” By choosing a “lighter vinaigrette or combination of olive oil and vinegar” you’ll use less while cutting out extra, unwanted calories. Even better? You’ll still get an added punch of flavor with your meal.
Avoid hidden pitfalls.
“Go natural,” suggests Hoff. “If you are making a salad to eat healthier, add more vegetables to your diet, or lose weight.” Afterward, “it’s in your best interest to go as natural and homemade with your meal as possible.” In other words, say goodbye to processed foods.
“Processed foods today are full of added sugars, saturated fats, and other unhealthy additives. For example, most store-bought salad dressings are full of sugar; even the basic vinaigrette typically has over 10g of sugar per serving.”
“If you make your own dressing at home and choose whole, natural vegetables, raw nuts, and organic meats, you can avoid these unhealthy fillers,” added Hoff. Before you know it, you’ll be one step closer to your goal.
Of course, this is just a beginner list. Also watch out for extra added cheeses, popular crouton substitutions [think tortilla chips] and too many high protein foods in one place [chicken, beans, hard boiled eggs].