Turn your salad into a complete meal

When the subject is healthy eating or diet, the first thing we think about is salads. They are allies ideas to lose weight and gain health. The base of every salad is vegetables, but if you add other ingredients you can get a complete and nutritious meal.

Nutritionist Juliana Menezes explains that a full meal must have food sources from all food groups. “Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber must be included in salads.”

For example, a salad of lettuce, arugula, grated carrots, potato pieces, shredded chicken and peas, dressed with extra virgin olive oil, contains all food groups.

The fibers, vitamins and minerals are on account of lettuce, arugula, carrots and peas. The carbohydrate is potatoes. And the chicken, the protein. The fat comes from the olive oil.

This combination is perfect for the salad becomes a complete meal. So the ideal is always to keep the food group, but not repeat foods, so that the meal does not become monotonous and soon the person gets sick of it. The nutritionist also suggests that “the dish should be colored, to ensure more nutrients in this meal.”

The Salad Villains

Often some ingredients added to salads can turn it into a more caloric dish than usual. For the sauce, prefer extra virgin olive oil or fruit or yogurt-based sauces. Ready-made sauces, or those based on sour cream and mayonnaise should be avoided, as they contain a high calorie content.

When choosing protein for the salad, prefer less fatty foods such as shredded chicken, turkey breast, boiled eggs or white cheese.

For carbohydrates, if you choose to use bread or pasta, choose wholegrain options, as they take longer to process, which increases the feeling of satiety in our body.

To add more flavor to the dish, use natural seasonings. “Parsley, oregano, coriander, mint, onion or basil are great options to accompany salads”, explains the nutritionist. Be careful with the amount of salt, which can increase blood pressure.

The nutritionist explains that any unbalanced diet can be bad for health. “The lack of any food group can leave the body lacking nutrients. Which often leads the person to be indisposed and without energy”, concludes nutritionist Juliana Menezes.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.