Diet Sabotage! 5 Reasons Why Eating Salads Can Be Bad for Your Diet

Most often, we equate eating a salad as the quick and healthy way to lose weight. The problem is many salads offered in restaurants are usually as many calories as the steak and potato dinner. Here are 5 reasons why you should skip that salad, and just eat something sensible:

1) Salad = Good diet choice: Well in most cases it can be, but often a salad comes piled with cheese, bacon, avocado, and even fried meats. That can sometimes be as many calories as a large bacon cheeseburger, the very thing we try to avoid! Since it lies upon a pile of lettuce, it can seem as though it wouldn't be that bad, however, choosing a salad is sometimes the least healthy thing we can pick from a menu.

2) Dressing: Sometimes salad dressing is filled with tons of calories, and the serving sizes are disregarded. Buying a salad at a fast food restaurant can seem pointless, considering the dressing alone packs as many calories as a small fry. Fat-free dressing can be fewer calories, but is still filled with sugar, and prevents the absorption of nutrients in the salad. Regular dressing however, has been shown to help take in those nutrients, unlike reduced or fat-free dressings.

3) Lettuce: Choosing a salad that contains iceberg lettuce is the least nutritious option on a menu. Lighter color leafs are often primarily filled with water, and not many vitamins or nutrients. The best choices are darker colored leaves like romaine and watercress, since they contain cancer fighting toxins and other antioxidants.

4) Extras: Having cheese or bacon on a salad isn't really a bad idea entirely, but only when it is used sparingly. Restaurants have increased the amount of food they serve, and the salads have gotten larger as well. The amount of cheese, bacon and other toppings added can far surpass a standard serving size, and these calories can be hard to count.

5) Less Satisfaction: Eating a salad can often tempt you to possibly eat more, since it may not fill you up as long as other foods. Lettuce is filled with water, so it can satisfy for the moment, but tends not to take long to digest. Eating a sensible dinner of protein and carbohydrates can keep you full longer, preventing overeating later.

While eating a salad can be better than other fattening foods, choosing one that is healthy can sometimes be tricky, and often undo dieting efforts. Try making salads at home that are filled with colorful vegetables and grilled chicken for the best nutritional value, and when eating out, limit extra fat and dressing.