A sudden craze of following a fat-free diet has enveloped every health-conscious person on this planet. There was a time when people used to follow unhealthy tips to lose those extra kilos that refuse to go. The 21st century generation does not want to harm their bodies or pay the lifelong price for looking attractive and skinny. Now, people are aware and are looking for better and healthy ways to shed off the extra weight. Your gym membership gives you access to a gym instructor, who is fairly in touch with what is right for the body and what's not. Some people also visit nutritionists and dieticians to churn out a healthy diet chart. All of them will give you tips on how to lose weight and become healthy, but one tip is common in all - low calorie foods. But, why you ask? Because, we all love to eat! Eating is absolutely fine to the extent where you are adding fuel to your body and giving it the energy it requires to function on a daily basis. Just like a car can't run without fuel, our bodies require the right kind of food to assist us to deal with the daily battles of life. But, what is that one low calorie food that can be made in different ways and does not hijack your healthy diet? Salads can be of great use here. They are not just delicious but also a low-calorie food. Apart from the obvious, salads also offer many health benefits; for instance, they are packed with fibres, which come from leafy greens, raw vegetables and fruits. The more you add different vegetables and fruits to your salad, the better it is for your weight loss programme. This way, you can meet all the requirements of your body to function well and also lose weight in the process.
Remember, it is extremely important to not go overboard with the use of salad dressing - since most of the salad dressings are packed with calories, in the name of taste. Go easy on anything that may turn your salad into an equivalent of a heavy meal filled with tons of calories. The content of sugar and salt should be moderate or less, overuse of both will beat the point of eating low calorie foods.
The ideal salad must contain a base of leafy greens and then something crunchy like sprouts or cucumber and something soft like cheese or olive oil. This will create a contrasting texture in the salad that will contribute to making it tastier. People usually find salads bland and boring, but if one pairs up the right veggies, fruits and dressings together, then they can enjoy this low calorie food. There are many kinds of salads that one can eat but here we will discuss about some of the easiest and tastiest salads that you can make at home as well.
Here Are A Few Delicious Low Calorie Salads And Dressings For Weight Loss:
Panzanella
This one is a summer treat. It can be made in several ways but tomatoes and bread are two main ingredients that are the heroes of the dish. What sets apart this salad from others is that the use of bread, which makes this salad more fulfilling and serves the purpose of having a healthy meal. Bread will add in the fibre quotient, while tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and folate.
An alternate to the store-bought salad dressing is vinaigrette, especially if you want to control the amount of oil, vinegar or lemon juice. Salt, herbs and spices can be added to the mixture to enhance its taste.
Low Calorie Foods: This salad has bread and tomato in it.
Carrot Salad With Black Grape Dressing
For this salad, you can make a fresh and healthy dressing yourself and you have the complete control over the fat content of the salad dressing. Carrots are a good source of potassium, vitamin K1, fibre and antioxidants. They also assist in weight loss. Black grapes consist of a powerful antioxidant known as resveratrol in its skin, which is known to facilitate weight loss.
Here is the recipe to make this salad.
(Also Read: Greek Salad with Lemon Dressing Recipe)
Low Calorie Foods: For this salad, you can make a fresh and healthy dressing yourself.
Watermelon, Olive And Feta Salad
As per the USDA nutrition data, hundred grams serving of watermelon has approximately 30 calories and about 92 percent of water, making it a low calorie food. It can be quite fulfilling and healthy at the same time. Watermelon is packed with vitamins A, C and B6. Lycopene and amino acids in watermelon contribute to a healthier and glowing skin. Olives can boost one's iron intake as well.
Here is the recipe to make this salad.
Low Calorie Foods: Try this delicious salad for weight loss.
Cucumber, Black Olive And Mint Salad
Cucumbers are high in nutrients and low in calories. This makes them a very healthy ingredient for a salad. Cucumber is one of the low calorie foods that is also known to aid weight loss, while black olives are known to boost iron content.
Here is the recipe to make this salad.
(Also Read: 11 Best Salad Recipes)
Low Calorie Foods: Cucumber is one of the low calorie foods that is also known to aid weight loss.
It is time to dump the burgers and pick the salads! Salads are easy to make and quite fulfilling. When in doubt, just whip out some veggies, fruits and dressing and you are ready with a low calorie food, which will not only aid weight loss but will also play an instrumental role in your overall well-being.
(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)