Exposing Hidden Calories in your Salad

Posted: Mar 30 in Post-Bariatric Diet by Staff

If you are not careful, a simple lunch menu can wreak havoc on your weight loss efforts. As you are out with your friends you may feel very proud of yourself for ordering the salad, and then when your dish arrives you sit secretly wondering how on earth this massive plate can actually be good for you. Salads are served up with red meat, piles of cheese, bits of ham and bacon all drizzled with succulent dressings. Don’t let the stereotype of this traditionally healthy meal fool you. Many salads are loaded with fat and lots of extra calories that you may not be calculating as you munch away.

As you are searching for weight loss help in Naples, put the fork down and consider what is on your plate, item by item. Here are a few helpful tips for dodging those hidden calories as you enjoy your tossed salad.

• Ask for the dressing on the side. Depending on the type of dressing that you have ordered, you may be unknowingly ingesting an extra 100 calories or so just by drizzling on the flavor. Instead of letting the dressing seep into your lettuce, dip your fork before getting a bite of lettuce to add just a bit of salad dressing without undoing your entire meal.
• Order it your own way. As you are perusing your menu take note of all of the ingredients in the salad you are about to order, and consider if you want all of those. Instead of letting the waiter bring you food that you do not want, ask for items such as bacon, cheese and meat to be left off. This will help bring the calorie count down to size.
• Go for the side salad. Many restaurants have smaller side salads available to accompany a variety of meals, but these can also be purchased a la carte. Instead of going for a large salad, order a small garden salad and then get a second side plate of vegetables to accompany it. By ordering small you can ensure that you are not going to overeat.