There’s no better appetizer than a freshly made salad. But if you want to make the most of it in terms of health benefits, here’s what you should add to your salad.
Eggs
According to recent research by the University of Purdue, eggs in salad help your body absorb 500 times more nutrients from vegetables. ‘Eggs significantly improve absorption of carotenoids from vegetables, even by 500%,’ explains the study author Wayne Campbell, a professor of food science at the University of Purdue.
Green salad
The inevitable ingredient of any salad, lettuce is packed with antioxidants and healthy ingredients. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that antioxidants in green leaf lettuce are slower than those in red leaf lettuce, therefore, use both types for salads.
Kale – Yes or No?
Although there’s been much ado about kale lately, this vegetable is not nutritionally superior to other vegetables. In fact kale is ranked lower than watercress, Chinese cabbage, spinach, beets, cabbage and spinach. If you like the taste of kale, feel free to include it more in your diet.
Dressing
Although it’s easier to use a store-bought salad dressing, a homemade one is a much healthier option. Thus, you can avoid the large quantities of sugars, fats and preservatives added to highly processed salad dressings.
Nuts
Feel free to add them to your salad as much as you like because they contain a lot of healthy fats and protein. Plus, you will enjoy crispy effect they give.
Full-fat cheese
Two new studies published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the full-fat milk cheese is extremely health beneficial. People who regularly consumed full-fat cheese even had a 23% lower risk of developing diabetes 2 compared to those who consumed low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Plus, full-fat cheese has a stronger taste so only a little is enough for savoring.
Pomegranate
Instead of raisins or dried cranberries, which are a popular addition to many salads, opt for pomegranate or fresh grapes because these contain much less sugar (half a cup packs about 12 grams of sugar, unlike raisins or cranberries that have an average of about 40 grams).
