5 common salad mistakes that everyone makes

Salads can be a great way to get your daily intake of fruits and vegetables however they aren’t always as straightforward as putting it all in a bowl with salad dressing on top.

In fact there may be some mistakes you’re making that are rendering the nutrients in your salads useless.

Here’s how to get the benefits of your salad every time:

Mistake #1: Too much dressing

Salad dressing is so delicious but there’s no secret the store bought stuff is loaded with sugar and is doing your healthy diet no favours.

If you must put dressing on your salad, try a squeeze of lemon, balsamic or white vinegar, or olive oil.

Mistake #2: You’re not using herbs

When most people think salad, they think vegetables. But herbs, like coriander, chives, basil, dill, and parsley, for example, are amazing in salad and add flavour – you won’t hardly need dressing! So remember: herbs aren’t always for garnish.

Mistake #3: It’s just vegetables

Eating plain greens might seem like a nutritious meal but if you’re going to commit to a salad, you may as well make it worthwhile. Next time you make a salad think of the golden combination: protein, starch, vegetables, fruit and herbs.

Protein for your salad can be chicken, eggs or even nuts!

Mistake #4: It’s unhealthy

Chucking the cupboard into your salad might look pretty but chances are it isn’t going to be healthy. If you’ve got greens but then stacked cranberries, avocado, meat, eggs and cheese on top, you could be going over 1000 calories. Adding 11 fatty or high calorie extras isn’t making your salad any healthier, even if it is technically a salad. Instead, try two full fat options such as avocado and some feta.

Mistake #5: You forgot the starch

Without any starch in a salad, you may wind up burning the protein you’ve added for fuel, which prevents the protein from being absorbed properly. To strike a healthy balance, include a small amount of starch, whether it’s quinoa, corn or potato.

Tell us, what do you love having in your salad?