If you’ve made the decision to get in shape and follow a healthy diet for the new year, good for you! It’s always a good time to make your health a priority and choose to nourish your body with the food that helps it thrive while cutting out harmful ingredients that could be holding you back from your weight loss goals. One of the most popular healthy meals is a good old veggie-packed salad. However, a salad is only has healthy as what you put in it. Unfortunately, some common (and delicious) ingredients many people load their salads with can actually be detrimental to your overall health by leading to inflammation and weight gain.
To discover some of the worst options you should definitely leave in 2022, we spoke to dietitians Dr. Amy Lee, Chief Medical Officer of the Lindora Clinic, Kiran Campbell, RD and Melissa Mitri RD, MS for FinnvsFin.com.They told us that croutons and ranch dressing are two common salad ingredients that may seem harmless, but they can actually contribute to inflammation and weight gain.
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Croutons
Although croutons may be a delicious way to add some crunch to your salad, beware: they're often packed with carbohydrates and "typically filled with preservatives and ingredients that can be inflammatory to the body," as Dr. Lee points out. Inflammation is a normal immune response to injury or infection, but chronic inflammation can lead to a variety of health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. And by consuming croutons and other processed foods high in preservatives and additives, we may be contributing to chronic inflammation in the body. Dr. Lee also says the additives found in croutons can "[hinder] the body from burning fat," leading to weight gain. Additionally, croutons are often "loaded with salt," which can contribute to high blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Yikes!
If you still want to bring some texture to your salad without loading it up with these harmful ingredients, there are many healthy alternatives. You can add some chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans, or you can sprinkle on some tasty seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds. Your body will thank you!
Ranch dressing
Ranch dressing is another common salad ingredient that can be detrimental to our health. According to Campbell, ranch dressing is high in "sodium, sugar, saturated fat, and cholesterol." She says that these harmful ingredients increase the risk of "weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, gastrointestinal issues, and even depression." Even a small serving of ranch dressing can be high in calories and unhealthy fats. As Mitri points out, just 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing contain 129 calories, 12 grams of total fat, and almost 3 grams of saturated fat. Say it ain't so!
That doesn’t mean you have to eat a dry salad, though. Healthy alternatives to high-fat dressings like ranch include balsamic vinaigrette, hummus, and even a simple homemade dressing using lemon juice and olive oil. Yum!
The bottom line
Overall, it's important to be mindful of the ingredients in the foods we eat, and croutons and ranch dressing are two examples of common salad additions that may be worth avoiding due to their potential negative impacts on our health. While a little bit may not hurt, it's best to consume these ingredients in moderation or consider alternative options to prevent inflammation and maintain a healthy weight.
