By Donna V. Scaglione
Eating a salad doesn’t mean you are eating something healthy. Whether your salad is truly good for you depends on what you put in it — and on it. Those crunchy packaged croutons? Better think again. That bottled ranch dressing? It’s loaded with fat and calories. And that white roll you enjoy with your greens? That’s going to spike your blood-sugar level and provide little dietary fiber. But you can build a better salad. Here’s how.
1. Layer on dark greens
Build your base with dark, leafy greens like spinach and romaine lettuce, which are good sources of folate, fiber, calcium, and vitamin A, and contain carotenoids, or antioxidants. The American Institute for Cancer Research says foods with carotenoids probably protect against larynx, pharynx, and mouth cancers. Also, lab research shows they inhibit the growth of skin and breast cancer cells, as well as stomach and lung cancers.
