Is eating salad to lose weight the right way? 3 tips to ensure balanced nutrition

Do you think salad means lettuce? In fact, in addition to the most common lettuce salad, there are now blanched warm salads, salad noodles with noodles, and even the most popular jar salads, which can replace a whole meal and make you feel full.

If you like light meals and want to lose weight, you must often think of eating salad. However, when you think of cold, non-satisfying leafy vegetables, coupled with the same old salad dressing, do you feel that it is boring and has no appetite? In fact, there are many variations of salads. For example, warm salad is very popular recently. It has a warm taste and is quite enjoyable to eat even in the slightly cold spring. It is not limited by any season.

In addition, there is the curly noodle salad which has been very popular recently. It is suitable for people who like to eat satiety and noodles, while the jar salad which is easy to carry out is even more suitable for busy office workers. Let’s take a look at the changes in salads and how to eat them in a full and healthy way.

《Warm salad》 has no seasonal restrictions

Warm salads, which have been very popular in recent years, originated from the French "salade tiede", which refers to warm sauces poured over ingredients and mixed well, or served on fresh lettuce with warm, cooked side dishes. In other words, the salad will no longer taste cold, but will have more layers of taste depending on the temperature or cooking methods of the side dishes.

Cheng Hanyu said that warm salad is her favorite salad method, because girls are sometimes not suitable for eating cold food, or when the weather is cold in winter, they tend to retreat from cold food. At this time, you might as well make a warm salad, which not only gives you the crisp taste of the salad and the warm temperature, but is also suitable for people who don’t like cold food. It is a dish that is not limited by season and can be eaten all year round.

But how do you make a warm salad delicious? Cheng Hanyu said she particularly likes to cook the meat first and then pour warm sauce on it. For example, for a warm scallop salad, first fry the scallops in olive oil, then sprinkle them with fragrant black pepper and a little salt. The sauce is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian mixed spices, cooked together until fragrant. Finally, pour it into the salad plate and enjoy it with lettuce. It is a warm salad that is perfect for enjoying in cold weather.

"Jar Salad" stacked up like a beautiful landscape

In the past two years, glass jars (Jar Salad) have set off a whirlwind. Even salads can be put into glass jars, which is called "jar salad". Jar salad is quite special. It uses the concept of stacking ingredients layer by layer, so that you can see the stacked layers of the salad jar at a glance. The ingredients are placed in the glass jar, just like a beautiful scenery, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.

As for why use glass jars? Cheng Hanyu said that although glass jars are heavier and may break easily, people who have used plastic storage boxes should have the experience that storage boxes are more likely to be stained by the smell and color of food, especially curry, which is difficult to clean. Once placed in a plastic storage box, it will definitely be stained with color. In comparison, glass jars are much easier to clean, and there is no risk of plasticizers dissolving out when putting high-temperature food in them.

What’s special is that the secret of jar salad is the “order of arrangement”. The salad dressing is placed at the bottom (shake it evenly before eating), followed by your favorite fruits and vegetables, root vegetables, milk, eggs and meat. The top layer is filled with leafy vegetables, almost to a height above the jar mouth, and then the glass lid is put on to fill the entire glass jar. This makes it difficult to shake the ingredients and the flavor of the ingredients can be maintained longer.

《Curly Noodle Salad》Satisfying Western-style cold noodles

When the weather is hot and humid, appetite decreases greatly, and hot food is even more difficult to swallow. You might want to try curly noodle salad (also known as mixed noodle salad). Curly noodle salad can be thought of as Western-style cold noodles. Its origin is that in the hot summer, people cannot eat rice, so European and American countries mix pasta into salad to make the pasta taste more refreshing. The colorful fruits and vegetables in the salad can enhance the overall flavor of the curly noodle salad.

However, the noodles for this pasta salad are very particular. Short noodles are more suitable for salads, such as shell pasta, spiral pasta or tube pasta. Although the salad pursues a relatively refreshing taste, since pasta does not absorb cold sauces, the flavor of the sauce can be enhanced with more natural spices, such as garlic, cardamom powder, cheese powder, etc. Of course, basil leaves or lemon juice are also good choices.

In fact, the method is quite simple. Just cook the noodles first, scoop them out and put them on a plate, add your favorite cold salad, and then mix with a suitable sauce. It is a noodle salad that is very suitable for summer consumption, especially for people who like to feel full.

★3 tips for a nutritionally balanced salad

The contents of salads can vary greatly, and almost all ingredients can be presented in the form of salads. However, in order to eat a nutritionally balanced and filling salad, Cheng Hanyu said that there are three skills that must be learned.

Tip 1/

Grasp the principles of the six major food groups, including whole grains and root vegetables, milk, beans, fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, good oils or nuts. Put these six major food groups in the salad to diversify the nutrient intake.

Tip 2/

Avoid using processed ingredients. Most processed ingredients contain artificial additives and are relatively high in salt and fat. If you want to eat healthy and refreshing food, you must choose natural ingredients so that you can eat safely and deliciously.

Tip 3/

Many people think that salad should be paired with Western-style smoked salmon, spaghetti, and shell pasta. In fact, combining the advantages of Eastern and Western ingredients will make the taste better, and it can even make the older generation, who are not used to eating salads, more accepting.

For example, the teriyaki ginger pork that we often eat in Japanese restaurants tastes very good when paired with Western-style balsamic vinegar mixed mushrooms and potato egg salad; Taiwanese three-cup chicken can be placed in salads, such as three-cup chicken, omelette, lettuce leaves, purple lettuce, sesame leaves, cherry tomatoes, a little vinaigrette, and served with 2 slices of French bread.

★5 groups suitable for eating salad

Group 1/3C

Modern people generally overuse 3C products, causing problems such as sore eyes, dry eyes, etc. Cheng Hanyu said that the intake of lutein, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C can help relieve symptoms of eye discomfort. Nutritionists recommend that the combination of pumpkin, salmon, nuts and kiwi fruit is very suitable for modern people who overuse their eyes.

【Nutrition perspective】

Pumpkin: Pumpkin contains high amounts of lutein, which can reduce the damage of blue light from 3C products to the eyes and protect the lens and retina.

Salmon and nuts: Omega-3 can reduce inflammation and avoid damage to retinal cells, helping to prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A 2009 study by the University of Sydney in Australia found that people who ate fish once a week had a 31% reduction in the early stages of degenerative macular degeneration, while those who ate foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, nuts, once or twice a week had a 35% reduction.

Kiwi fruit: Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamin C, which can increase the elasticity of the eye's microvessels and repair cells, helping to delay vision deterioration.

Group 2: People with menstrual pain

Women always have those 7 uncomfortable days every month. If you want to relieve the uncomfortable symptoms by eating salad, it is recommended to choose high-iron foods, such as beef, shrimp or crab legs. In addition, foods rich in calcium, such as cheese and dark green vegetables, can help stabilize emotions.

【Nutrition perspective】

Beef: Beef is rich in iron, which can help the body produce blood and is very suitable for women who are losing blood.

Cheese: Cheese is rich in calcium, which is an important substance for nerve conduction and can help stabilize emotions. In addition, dark green vegetables and black sesame are also good choices.

Bananas: Bananas are rich in tryptophan, which can help stabilize emotions.

Group 3: Cold group

Did you accidentally catch a cold and have a runny nose and sore throat again? Colds are a disease that everyone will encounter as they grow up. If you catch a cold, don’t rush to see a doctor. Instead, take in proper nutrients to allow your body’s immune system to fight the disease. Vitamins such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C can awaken the body’s self-healing ability and help you recover from the cold quickly.

【Nutrition perspective】

Carrots: Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which can protect mucous membrane tissues such as the eyes, mouth, respiratory tract, and digestive tract, making them less susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. Therefore, whether you are catching a cold or want to prevent a cold, you should eat carrots in moderation.

Cherry tomatoes: In addition to lycopene, tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, which can promote wound healing. It is also the main component of white blood cells. Only when you take enough vitamin C can you strengthen white blood cells and enhance immunity.

Cauliflower: Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, indole, and aromatic isothiocyanates, which can enhance immunity and are especially suitable for people who are suffering from a cold.

It should be noted that it is recommended not to bake these ingredients at high temperature for a long time to avoid destroying the nutrition of the food; it is also not recommended to add sugar, otherwise it will increase the consumption of B vitamins and cause inflammatory reactions, which will be counterproductive.

Group 4: Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Modern people lead busy lives and are under great pressure at work. Many people suffer from "heartburn" symptoms. They often feel like there is a fire burning in their hearts and something seems to be coming up in their throats. This is called gastroesophageal reflux disease. Severe cases may even cause them to choke on stomach acid in the middle of the night. If you want to improve the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, in addition to reducing stress in life and maintaining a normal schedule, you may want to avoid the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux by consuming vegetables, whole grains, root vegetables, beans and eggs.

【Nutrition perspective】

Vegetables: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine once pointed out that increasing the intake of dietary fiber can help prevent the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux. Vegetables such as fungus and mushrooms are good choices when mixed into salads.

Sweet potatoes, yams, and pumpkins: They are rich in dietary fiber, which helps prevent gastroesophageal reflux.

Beans and eggs: You can choose soy products, edamame or eggs as protein sources.

It is worth noting that people with gastroesophageal reflux should avoid consuming too much high-fat food when eating salad, because the intake of fat will reduce the pressure on the esophageal sphincter, delay gastric emptying, and slow down digestion, which will easily increase the risk of food reflux. In addition, citrus fruits, tomatoes, raw onions and garlic can also aggravate the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, so it is recommended to avoid eating them.

Group 5: Constipation group

Eating the right salad can improve constipation. For people who are prone to constipation, the key to homemade salad ingredients is high in dietary fiber. Ingredients such as mushrooms, green vegetables, black dates, strawberries, rye, chia seeds, etc. can all relieve constipation problems.

【Nutrition perspective】

Dietary fiber in fruits and vegetables can be divided into water-soluble and water-insoluble fiber. Water-soluble fiber can help the large intestine produce good bacteria, increase gastrointestinal motility, and make feces easier to excrete; while water-insoluble fiber can increase the volume of feces and help induce the urge to defecate. However, if the water intake is insufficient, the constipation problem will be made worse. This is why some people still suffer from constipation even though they eat a lot of vegetables. The problem lies in the insufficient intake of "water". In addition, fats cannot be completely avoided. With fats, bowel movements will be smooth.

Variations of salad: salad bread, salad noodles, salad rice

There are many variations of salads. As long as it is an ingredient you like, whether it is cooked or cold, it can all be presented in the form of a salad. Cheng Hanyu said that for some people who like to eat bread, he suggested tearing whole wheat toast or hard bread into small pieces and dip them in salad dressing made with olive oil, which is a perfect match; for people who like to eat noodles, whether they are short noodles or long noodles, as long as they are cooked first and then mixed into salad, they are also very delicious. What to do if you are worried about not finishing the meal? You can also use homemade salad dressing to cook leftover rice into a risotto-like texture, and pair it with other salad ingredients for a unique flavor.

For the full content, please see Changchun Monthly Issue 397