CookSmart (17th Issue) Page29

Dietitian Guide

Salads help keep weight at bay

Sylvia says, "Fruits and green salads, for their relatively low energy content, are a bulwark against weight gain, and always considered part of a healthy weight-loss diet."

Make sure your salads meet nutritional needs

Sylvia says, "A well-balanced meal must contain carbohydrates, dietary fibre, protein and fats. With the right combination of ingredients, a salad can be a great meal on its own. Fusilli, potato and kernel corn can provide carbohydrates; dark green leafy vegetables are a good source of dietary fibre, iron and calcium while tomatoes, carrots and red peppers are high in lycopene, vitamins A and C. You can also consider using different fruits in your salad, as they give your meal a natural sweetness and dietary fibre. Salmon, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, chicken fillet and red kidney beans can give your salad a considerable amount of proteins; they can replace meat with high-salt content such as ham and bacon. As for nuts and avocadoes, they are indeed high in fats, so better use sparingly. Good companions for salads include raisins, dried apricots and other dried fruits, which are tasty and healthy.