Salad Bar Breakdown

We've got the inside scoop on what's really going into those plastic bowls!

by Colleen Guiltinan | FNC iMag

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Selection of fresh food in bowls chilled with ice in supermarket (still life)

I'm all about packing your lunch, but sometimes it's difficult to find the time to make even a simple turkey sandwich. So what do you do? Swing by the local salad bar! Watch them toss on some toppings and drizzle on some dressing and voila! You've got what appears to be a healthy lunch. Right? Wrong! You see, the problem with the salad bar is it's a mystery .... between the "tong" size servings, lack of nutritional information, and extra helping of dressing (that you didn't ask for) you never know what you're going to get. So I sat down with Registered Dietician, Danielle Schupp, and got the inside scoop on what's really going into those plastic bowls.

The Salad Bar Breakdown:

Typically, salad bars either use "tongs" or 1/4 cup measuring cups to serve each ingredient. All these calories are based on this estimation.

Lettuce:

Baby Spinach: 0 Calories
Crispy Romaine: 0 Calories
Field Greens: 0 Calories

Danielle's Salad Bar Selection: Go with any lettuce. Essentially, all your veggies are good for you as long as they don't contain oil! The calories are insignificant since most of the calories in vegetables come from fiber. Humans cannot digest fiber therefore it passes through us undigested.

Main Ingredient:

Grilled Chicken: 100 Calories
Crispy Chicken: 200 Calories
Cajun Chicken: 150 Calories
Tuna Salad: 150 Calories
Smoked Turkey: 100 Calories
Steak: 200 Calories
Tofu: 100 Calories
Bacon Bits: 100 Calories

Danielle's Salad Bar Selection: Go with grilled chicken, smoked turkey, tofu, or bacon bits. It's when you add more than one main ingredient that the salad starts to add up in calories.

Toppings:

Cheddar, Mozzarella, Feta, and Blue Cheese: 100 Calories
Peppers, Carrots, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Onions, Cucumber, and Broccoli: 0 Calories
Egg: 75 Calories
Walnuts: 100 Calories
Chick Peas: 50
Croutons: 50
Avocado: 100
Grapes: 25
Apples: 25

Danielle's Salad Bar Selection: The healthiest topping for your salad is any type of vegetable. As mentioned before with the lettuce, they are all zero calories-so load on as many as you want to! It's when you add on a variety of cheeses, croutons, and nuts that the salad becomes very fattening/high in calories.

Dressing:

Note: This is based on a 2 oz. serving. Most places use a 2 oz. plastic container to serve dressing. But beware some use 3 or 4 oz. containers. The 2 oz. container is equivalent to 1/4 cup measuring cup or 4 tablespoons. Always order your dressing on the side to control your serving size.

Vinaigrette: 200-250 Calories
Creamy dressing: 300 Calories
Low-fat dressing: 100-150 Calories
Fat-free dressing: 100-150 Calories

Danielle's Salad Bar Selection: A low-fat or fat-free dressing is the best choice if you're trying to cut back on calories. If you can find them in an oil-based dressing that is even better because they are very good for your heart.

For more great nutrition advice check out iMag's Food Section.

Danielle Schupp RD, is a registered dietitian and sports nutritionist practicing in New York City at The Reebok Sports Club/New York. She obtained her degree in dietetics from Cornell University in 1994 and completed her dietetic internship at Columbia University in 1996. She also holds a Weight Management Certification from the American Dietetics Association. Danielle is currently authoring a book, Urban Skinny, which caters to the busy life of her clientele and how to eat nutritiously while they maintain their busy urban lifestyle of work, travel and dining out in restaurants.