World famous
Salads are a great way to eat healthily and make sure we get enough fresh fruit and vegetables in our diets. A number of salads have withstood the test of time and are as popular today as when they were first created.
For instance, the Waldorf salad – a classic combination of sliced apple and celery, chopped walnuts, raisins and lettuce – was created in the 1890s at the Waldorf Hotel in New York. Meanwhile, the Caesar salad, which contains lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese and a dressing made from Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and mustard, was devised in 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an Italian-born Mexican.
Counting calories
When making these at home, or creating your own salad combinations, it's all too easy to turn what should be a healthy dish into something high in calories and saturated fat by adding extras like full-fat cheese and rich dressings. But there are a few things you can do to keep your salad both healthy and delicious.
To help avoid over-rich dressings, for instance, try to use fresh ingredients with flavours that pack a punch. If you want a spicy kick, add a little chopped pickled jalapeno pepper, each of which contains four calories. Adding a few olives, wholemeal oven-baked croutons or dried or fresh herbs like flat leaf parsley and basil are ways to liven up your salad.
Dress to impress
Of course, nothing can improve a salad like a tasty dressing, but it's these that can add calories to your plate. For rich dressings, if you're watching your waistline, it's best to try to limit yourself to a single tablespoon per person.
Using lighter dressings, though, is a good way to keep your salad healthier. Every salad dressing is normally a simple mixture of vegetable oils, vinegar, salt and sugar. Additional ingredients, such as yoghurt, herbs, lemon juice and mustard can help make a difference.
In the UK, Hellmann's Fat Free Vinaigrette comes with real herbs, red pepper and absolutely no fat. Try it with a salad of tuna, lettuce and tomato, topped with chopped red onion. A 15ml drizzle of this excellent dressing contains seven calories.
And in the US, Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers provide a new take on salad dressings. With eight vinagerettes to chose from, you'll have a perfect salad every time. Plus, there's just 1 calorie per spray.
