How to choose a healthier takeout salad
When you want to pick up a summer meal on the go, do you reach for a bag of burgers and fries or do you long for lighter fare? If your good intentions lead you to choose something on the lighter side of the menu board, most fast-food restaurants will gladly take your money for variety of salads.
At face value, a food item labeled "salad" might seem like a lighter, healthier and more nutritious option, but is it really? While greens and other veggies provide a healthy base, what goes in the bowl after that can drastically affect the total fat, sodium and calorie content of your meal. When options like bacon, fried chicken, cheese and creamy dressings are tossed into the mix, nutritionally, the result might look more like a big burger with all the fixings.
We took an informal look at some of the most popular salads at seven local takeout restaurants.
Registered dietician and certified nutritionist Darlene Endy found the sodium content of all the salads high compared to the recommendations from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The Institute says most Americans should have no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. "Those who have or are at risk for high blood pressure should limit their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day," Endy said. "Excess sodium in the diet can affect blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke."