They’re green, they’re leafy, they have a reputation of being ‘healthy’, and they’re probably the last thing you think about when you’re hungry. No, you don’t turn to a salad to satisfy your cravings. You turn to steak. Or pizza. Or that mouth-watering plate of carbonara.
But if salads could speak, they’d probably tell you it’s not as bad as you think. They’d tell you eating that big bowl of salad doesn’t have to be a chore, and if you were more willing to try them out, chances are you might actually enjoy yourself.
Here are 7 things your salad wants to tell you:
1. Some salads can be more filling than your favorite entree.
There are those who shy away from salads because they think it’s an appetizer they can do away with, or that it takes up unnecessary space in your stomach and your dinner bill.
What they don’t realize is that some salads are actually more filling than an entree, but they fill you up in a way that doesn’t make you feel bloated. With salads, you’ll feel full but light at the same time.
2. A good quality salad has a higher chance of giving you a complete meal.
Go, grow, and glow. You know you need all three food groups for a balanced diet and complete meal. While salads normally belong to the ‘glow’ category because of the vegetables, many salads have been crafted to be a complete meal altogether.
Think about it. Aside from fruits and vegetables, the best salads would also contain protein and carbs. As an example, take Rock Bottom’s Grilled Steak & Portobello Salad, which gives you mixed greens tossed in spicy chimichurri dressing with grilled sirloin steak and Portobello mushrooms, topped with tri-colored tomatoes, pico de gallo, cotija cheese and crispy potato shreds. Yum.
3. It’s not always about cutting calories and losing weight.
If you want to start eating healthier and cutting back on the calories, then salads are your best bet for sure. But this reputation of salads being ‘healthy’ is a double-edged sword for sure. Some people think that the only time you eat a salad is when you’re punishing yourself because you want to lose weight, and this is far from the truth.
In fact, some salads are packed not just with all the nutrients you need but also with all the calories that will give you sufficient energy for the day. Think of a salad that already has proteins, like American Deli’s Fried or Grilled Chicken Salad. Not to mention the dressing as well as the other add-ons (like croutons or cheese).
4. Salads are not all green.
If salads remind you of being forced to eat your green leafy vegetables as a young child, then chances are you’d always run the opposite direction. There’s no need to fret though, because salads are not always green. There are all kinds of other salads that don’t use green vegetables at all, so you just have to open your mind.
Of course, most salads use something ‘green’ but add to it, such as Just Salads’ Buffalo Chicken Salad, which uses Romaine lettuce and Celery but has other ingredients like Buffalo Chicken, Pepper Jack Cheese, Tortilla Strips, and a Buttermilk Ranch dressing.
5. Salads inspire you to be daring.
Sometimes, the only way you can be acquainted with new food choices is when you actually become adventurous enough to try them. And while this normally means trying new flavors and variants of food items that sound familiar to you, there’s nothing more daring than venturing towards uncharted territories – in this case, the land of salads.
Think Margaritaville’s Spinach and Strawberry Salad or Pickel Barrel’s Mediterranean Shrimp & Quinoa Salad. Once you realize that salads aren’t all that bad, you’ll wonder why you’ve never looked into them before. Look what you’ve been missing all this time.
6. Don’t order something you can easily prepare at home.
Read the description on the menu. If it sounds like something you can very easily prepare at home, think twice about ordering it. Chefs can go all out with salad preparation, so take advantage of the fact that you’re eating out and order something you know you can’t prepare for yourself.
A garden salad (available in multiple restaurants) would be easy enough to prepare. However, chances are you wouldn’t really have the time, energy, creativity, and ingredients to prepare something like Zizzi’s Chicken & Prosciutto Salad, unless you can easily assemble ‘Torn chicken, crispy prosciutto, avocado, roasted red onions, Isle of Wight mixed tomatoes, riserva cheese & croutons with spinach, rocket & mixed leaves, dressed with a lemon & rosemary aioli.
7. Salads are actually good for you.
But we think you already know that.
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