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Mix-and-Match Salads

By Lara Rondinelli RD, LDN, CDE

You may have made an attempt at healthy eating in the past — maybe you decided you would eat more salads. So you started eating a daily healthy salad made up of lettuce, grilled chicken breast, and "lite" salad dressing. But after eating it, you never felt satisfied, and ended up grabbing a bag of chips or candy bar to get you through the rest of the day. This common mistake is the reason so many people feel like there is no way they will ever be able to stick to healthy eating.

A healthy salad does not have to be boring and unsatisfying. In fact, most people need to add more to their salad to make it nutritious and filling. A salad with only chicken breast is extremely low in calories and fat and will not leave you feeling satiated. On the other hand, some people ruin salads by topping them with too much salad dressing, bacon bits, dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, croutons, and accompanying them with high-carb sides, such as potato or pasta salad. By the time the “healthy” salad is complete, you can barely see any vegetables.

Here is how to create a salad that will give you the right balance of vegetables, healthy carbohydrates, good fats, and lean protein. On the following three pages are lists of superfoods from four food groups: vegetables, lean proteins, healthy carbs, and good fats. Choose one or more items from each of these groups for a satisfying, healthy salad that won’t spike your blood sugar....

Download a PDF file of this article to print out and stick on your fridge!

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