By Megan Pattison TWU Dietetic Intern

Congratulations on taking the right steps to a healthy lunch or dinner choice! Market Street’s salad bar is a great way to create a custom, healthful meal, full of variety. With the many choices of fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses and toppings, the options are endless! However, before you start loading up that container, proceed with caution. Depending on your salad bar choices, you can quickly sabotage that perfect well-balanced meal to a container full of excessive fat, calories and sodium. Depending on how a salad is constructed, your so-called healthy meal could potentially pack in greater than 850 calories and 30 grams of fat! Properly managing your portion sizes and optimizing selections to healthier options, you can enjoy a delicious, well-balanced meal!

The goal is not to limit your salad to the bare bones of lettuce & raw vegetables, but learn what proper portion sizes of your delectable favorites are, and how to identify tasty, lower fat alternatives when they’re available. Since measuring spoons are not typically available on salad bars, our hints will help you estimate good serving sizes, so all your favorites can be enjoyed, knowing you’ve made the right choice!

Fancy Fruits

Dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries and cherries add a hint of sweetness to your salad! These tasty treats are low in fat, a good source of fiber and high in Vitamin C. However, tiny fruits are very calorie-dense and add up quickly, so those extra servings can sneak in quite easily! One serving, which is about ¼ cup, provides about 125 calories. This portion size can be visualized as the size of a golf ball or a small handful. Another alternative is to opt for the mixed fresh fruit! You will get a variety of nutrients without excessive calories. About ½ of a cup has only 45 calories, so load up and enjoy!

1/4 Cup = 1 Serving Dried Fruit, 125 calories

Oils & Dressings

Dressings can sometimes be a tricky test of your nutrition knowledge on a salad bar. They tend to look similar, but some sneak in added fat and sugars. Portion control is key here as well. Most dressings are served with a ladle that’s around ½ a cup – that’s about three times more than a standard serving should be! Dressing is much better managed in a small, side container of about one ounce. Opt for vinaigrettes or dressings labeled light or low-fat, over creamy or oil based dressings. A serving of olive oil is approximately 240 calories & 28 grams of fat compared to 65 calories and 5 grams of fat in a reduced fat ranch dressing. If your dressing is in a bottle with a pour spout, about a one-thousand, two-thousand count is plenty. Market Street offers great low-calorie options including Girards Roasted Red Bell Pepper Dressing, and Fat Free Ranch.

Power through the day with protein!

Incorporating a source of protein to your salads is a great way to make your meal complete, and help to sustain energy levels after your meal. With all of the tempting options, which choices are best? Lean meats such as diced chicken and turkey slices are lower-fat choices. Others such as processed pepperoni or ham are typically higher in fat, sodium and other preservatives. One serving of meat is about three ounces, or the size of the palm of your hand (not including thumbs or fingers) and the thickness of a deck of cards – not a heaping handful! Did you know? Beans and bean products such as tofu and hummus also provide a healthy alternative to meats, and are loaded with healthy benefits such as fiber, vitamins and minerals. So branch out on your next trip to the salad bar and try a new alternative as your protein source!

Cheese, please?

A long-term favorite and tasty source of calcium, cheese is generally high in fat. Cheese in moderation, can be a tasty topper to your salad. Recall that golf ball from the dried fruits? Try to keep your cheese serving about the same size. If you’re using salad tongs for your cheese topper, this can be accomplished with one tong-full. Blue Cheese and Cheddar Cheeses usually contain an extra 20-30 calories and 2-3 grams of fat as compared to Feta Crumbles or Goat Cheese per ¼-cup.

Side Salads - Market Street, as well as most other salad bars, offers a great variety of pre-made salads such as edamame, bean, brown rice, and potato. A standard portion of these salads is typically a half cup. How much is half a cup? Put that golf ball back in the bag, and get out a tennis ball! Some of these options can almost serve as a meal in itself in terms of nutritional content! Try to find a choice that contains less creams or mayonnaise, and more fresh beans, fruits or vegetables.

Enjoy your salad creation and peace-of-mind knowing you’ve made a nutritious and delicious meal choice! Download the Market Street Salad Bar Nutrition Facts to help keep your salad numbers in check.

Compare These Salads And See How The Calories Add Up...