For healthy eating, have a salad!

Test Your Salad IQ

Salads can be a healthy way to eat your veggies, but there can be pitfalls, too.  Test your knowledge with this salad quiz, and leave a comment with your best responses.  Check back next Thursday for the answers and to see who got the most right!

A.  Two tablespoons of ranch dressing have….

1. 6 grams of fat
2. 14 grams of fat
3. 20 grams of fat

B.  Which of the following is the smartest salad topping?

1. Chopped ham
2. Bacon bits
3. Shredded cheddar cheese

C.  This deadly salad bar choice has a whopping 26 grams of fat per 3/4 cup.

1. Macaroni salad
2. Cottage cheese
3. Cole slaw

D.  This type of lettuce provides almost no nutrition.

1. Butter lettuce
2. Romaine lettuce
3. Iceberg lettuce

Salad Nutrition

Salad greens are a great source of many important nutrients!  Take a look at the list of nutrients that you can get from eating your greens:

Vitamin A (protects vision and boost immune system), Vitamin K (helps blood clot), Vitamin C (builds immune system and helps in healing), B vitamins (helps form energy), Folate (protects heart health), Iron (carries oxygen to cells), Calcium (strengthens bones & teeth, regulates heart beat), Potassium (helps balance blood pressure), Manganese (important part of enyzmes).

Improve Your Salads

• Maximize nutrition- build salads with a mixture of dark leafy greens  and add more fruits and vegetables
• Use low-fat ingredients
• Dress lightly with low-fat, reduced calorie dressings
• Eat healthy salads more often throughout the week and any time of day

Salad Bar Survival

A salad from the salad bar can be a healthy option if you choose wisely.  If not, it may end up with more calories and fat than the entree!  Here are some tips for salad bar survival:

1. Fill up on leafy greens
2. Bypass the pasta salads
3. Skip the meats, shredded cheeses and croutons
4. Choose a light dressing
5. Use a smaller plate
6. Stick to only one trip to the salad bar, except for fruit for dessert.

For recipes shared by participants at the recent Extension program and potluck luncheon on “Healthy Salads,” visit the Finney County Extension Office website at www.finney.ksu.edu under Health and Nutrition.

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