Replacing mayonnaise with yoghurt and adding a lot of seeds are few of the tips that chef Karan Talwar whips up for a healthy salad
Nothing sounds healthier than a salad, rightIJ A salad is a great vehicle for getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet. It may be, but not if you add the wrong ingredients. Any salad can go from healthy to unhealthy with the addition of a mound of ranch dressing. It can go bad when you pour high-calorie toppings and dressings over a pile of plain lettuce and various things that have been deep-fried.
Adding a protein source can transform a salad into a full-fledged balanced meal. But adding deep-fried chicken strips or chunks of processed lunch meats will turn it into a health disaster.
Salad is all about texture. Every bite is a little bit different, and that’s part of the good salad. Some of the amazing healthy salads are fiesta bowl salad, barley salad with cucumber, orange and strawberry salad, olives and mint melon salad, walnut salad, pineapple and mango salad, babycorn bean sprouts and cucumber salad with lemony basil dressing, bean and capsicum salad, orange and pomegranate salad with roasted almonds
Dressing adds flavour, but salad dressing available in market may have trans fat, sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavors pop up on nutritional labels, wrecking havoc on this otherwise healthy dishes. Choosing fat-free varieties isn’t a great idea, either, because certain nutrients in vegetables can’t be absorbed without fat. Instead, get the most out of your salad by whipping up these healthy dressings that use natural ingredients and heart-healthy olive oil. They’ll add flavor to your greens with minimum calories count.
Avoid overdoing your dressing and do not add more than two tablespoons per serving and stick to the healthier options. Don’t stick to basic green when it comes to salad. Choose different colour vegetables like beets, berries and orange or yellow pepper, corns, mushroom and olives. Not only will all these colours make a beautiful salad, they also mean lots of nutrients on your plate.
Spices: Dashes of thyme, black pepper, oregano, basil add a new dimension of spiciness to the salad.
Seeds: They can provide some added nutrition and crunch to virtually any kind of salad. Consider adding sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed, pumpkin seeds — or nuts like almonds, soy nuts, cashews, and walnuts.
Yoghurt: Yoghurt is rich in protein, which is easy to digest, and it’s extra creamy texture makes any salad Peanut butter: It’s packed with protein and antioxidants, especially resveratrol, which has been found to help fight cancer and heart disease.
Raspberry vinaigrette: Give your salads a summery feel with a hint of fruit in this healthy dressing. It’s a great warm-weather option.
Cucumber yoghurt dressing: low-fat yoghurt creates a creamy base for the slightly sour balsamic vinegar and rich olive oil. A dash of dill adds a tangy flavor and an added dose of calcium.
Roasted red pepper dressing: If you want to add some excitement to your salad, this dressing can be the answer. The savoury vegetable broth and tangy mustard add flavor to the smoky, roasted red peppers — a great source of antioxidants.
Citrus vinaigrette: Though there are several competing flavors like sweet honey, sour soy sauce and tart lemon juice-it is surprisingly versatile. Drizzled it over a mixed greens salad or on top of steamed vegetables.
Healthy sweet salad: Fruits have their own natural sweetness; a healthy fruit salad is amazing way to keep you healthy. The best way to replenish our body’s water and electrolyte needs is through fresh servings of fruits. These dishes calls for a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables tossed together.
Orange and pomegranate salad with candied almonds: It is a perfect summer salad, combining greens and seasonal fruits with candied almonds. This salad is cool, refreshing and crunchy because of the fresh iceberg lettuce and crushed candied almonds, dressed in a combination of tangy and spicy flavours, to cut the sweetness of all the fruit.
Melon salad: It’s made from seasonal fruits likes watermelon and muskmelon and combined with a tangy ginger dressing. This makes salad refreshing and delicious.
Apple and lettuce salad with melon dressing: A right amount of fruits and vegetables makes this salad, a preferred choice. Apple and melon makes this dish little sweet. And a hint of vegetables like lettuce, capsicum to add the crunchy fun.
Talwar is chef of Kitchen Kraft Catering Co.