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Here’s the Nutritionist’s Ingredient List. Go Wild. Build Your Perfect Salad.

July 07, 2020

It’s summer, when salads take center stage. I’ve been growing lettuce in pots on my porch since April and farm stands are opening with more and more vegetable options daily.

Vegetables are nutrient-dense, meaning they are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants which help protect our healthy cells. It is generally recommended to have 2 1/2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.

Moving toward a plant-based diet, like the Mediterranean diet, makes good sense. It is known to ward off chronic disease like heart disease, diabetes, renal failure and cancer. So salad certainly has a place in such a diet plan. But we need some parameters to keep it healthy.

Here are some basic salad ingredients:

Greens. Greens of all kinds make a great salad but try to go with some darker colored ones like spinach, arugula and even shredded Brussels sprouts mixed in with your usual iceberg or Romaine lettuce.

Try:

• Shredded cabbage
• Shredded broccoli
• Baby bok choy, baby kale or dinosaur kale
• Bitter greens like chicory or chopped escarole
• Endive
• Radicchio lettuce
• Beet greens
• “Spring mix” with greens like oak leaf and mizuna

Additional vegetables. These add bulk and boost nutrient content. Consider adding chopped, sliced or shredded raw vegetables or your leftover cooked vegetables.

These can include:

• Peppers, onions, radishes
• Carrots, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes
• Fennel
• Broccoli, cauliflower
• Cooked beets, winter squashes
• Green beans,  snow peas, asparagus
• Water chestnuts, mushrooms
• Pickled vegetables (peppers, artichoke hearts)
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Olives

Protein. This makes salad a meal that will satisfy your hunger and keep you going through the day.

Plant-based and/or lean animal sources of protein are suitable, including:

• Chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils, red or black beans
• Edamame, tofu
• Nuts, seeds
• Crumbled veggie burger
• Canned or fresh cooked tuna, salmon or other fish
• Shellfish
• Chicken and turkey
• Eggs, cottage cheese, shredded cheeses
• Lean meats like flank steak

Add-on energy and flavor boosts. Fresh fruits add a healthy carbohydrate and a flavor boost. Try to avoid crispy, high fat add-ons like croutons, wontons, tortilla strips, bacon bits and crispy noodles. Instead, consider:

• Berries
• Grapes, pitted cherries
• Apple, pear, peach
• Pomegranate arils
• Dried fruit without sugar (raisins, dates, apricots)
• Craisins labeled “low sugar”
• Mango, kiwi, star fruit

Another energy option is more complex carbohydrate from grains and starchy vegetables. To keep to calories down, control portions.

• Bulgur
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Fresh or cooked corn
• Green peas

Dressing. This often contributes flavor and moisture to salad, typically some form of fat. While helps us better absorb nutrients in the salad, it has more than double the calories as carbohydrate so be careful.

Creamy dressings tend to be highest in calories since they are made from ingredients like mayonnaise, sour cream and cheese. A yogurt-based one may be a lower-calorie alternative. Dressings labeled “light” have 25 percent fewer calories or fat. But this can lead people to add more than the two-tablespoon serving size, increasing calories and fat.

I suggest adding a little extra water, vinegar or plain yogurt to your favorite dressing to “extend” it without adding many calories. Another tip is to add moist ingredients like salsa, juicy fruits or slices of avocado.

Another consideration is the dressing’s sugar and sodium content. Compare labels for sodium when shopping and avoid high values. To determine sugar content, look under “Total Carbohydrate” for “Added Sugar.” Ideally, sugar should not be in dressing, but it overloads many fat-free varieties.

If you have the time, it’s not difficult to make a healthy dressing, which avoids high sodium and sugar content of bottled dressings.  Pick a healthy oil like olive or canola for their heart-healthy benefits.

Summer Fruit Vinaigrette

• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar*
• ¼ cup smashed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
• Handful of fresh minced herbs (mint, basil, thyme, etc.)
• Pepper

Mix well in a jar and store in the refrigerator. When needed for a salad, remove from the refrigerator early after storing so the oil liquifies.

*If you are not sure how tart you like your dressing, start by adding the lower amount. Add more if desired.

Mary Noon is a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Hartford Hospital.

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