Best And Worst Salad Toppings For Weight Loss

1. Bell peppers

Bell peppers are known to rev up your metabolism because of a metabolism boosting compound called dihydrocapsiate. Bell peppers are also high in vitamin C which counteracts cortisol, the stress hormone which causes the accumulation of belly fat.

2. Salad greens

Lettuce is mostly used as the base of a salad. But, apart from lettuce, there are so many salad greens to choose from, that are mild in flavour and will add crunch and volume to your salad. You can also add spinach, mustard greens, beet greens, iceberg lettuce, and cabbage leaves. These salad greens will not only add crunchiness but also will provide you with nutrients.

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3. Eggs

Eggs are another healthy salad topping for weight loss. The egg whites satiate your hunger and the egg yolks are an abundant source of a fat-fighting nutrient called choline. Choline works by suppressing the hunger hormone leptin which fuels cravings even after a meal.

4. Colourful vegetables

Add plenty of colourful vegetables to your salad to make it healthy because they contain plenty of phytochemicals. For example, you can include red coloured vegetables like tomato, beetroot, and red peppers; green coloured vegetables like artichokes, peas, broccoli and cucumber; orange coloured vegetables like carrots, and sweet potatoes; blue or purple coloured vegetables like purple cabbage and eggplant and white/brown coloured vegetables like mushrooms, and parsnips into your salad.

5. Berries

Berries are packed full of polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant found in strawberries, blueberries and raspberries which can decrease the formation of fat cells by up to 73 per cent, according to noted studies. Berries are also rich in fibre which means it will keep your stomach full and prevent unwanted cravings.

6. Healthy fats

Ditch the unhealthy fats like strips of bacon or beef from your salad, and instead replace them with healthy fats like avocados, nuts and seeds, olives and olive oil. Studies say that eating healthy fats reduces your appetite and allows you to eat fewer calories.

7. Legumes

It is said that having legumes will make you lose more weight because of the fibre content. To back this statement up, a study was published in the journal Obesity which showed that after consuming 160 g of legumes people felt 31 per cent fuller.

Worst Salad Toppings For Weight Loss

1. Bacon

Are you having your bacon as a topping on your salad? If yes, you need to exclude it because it is full of calories and fat. A 100 g serving of pan-fried bacon contains 110 mg cholesterol. It also contains1717 mg of sodium which is something to avoid if you have high blood pressure.

2. Creamy Salad Dressing

No matter how much healthy toppings you add in your salad, adding a drizzle of creamy salad dressing can ruin your weight loss goal. Creamy salad dressings are full of high saturated fat, sugar, sodium and calories. Avoid adding blue cheese, or ranch dressing to your salad. You can instead add these healthy oils for salad dressing.

3. Croutons

Croutons are unhealthy salad toppings because they are fried and add unnecessary saturated fat and calories. Croutons are made from white bread that contain less fibre and protein. So, avoid croutons when you are trying to lose weight.

4. Processed deli meats

Processed deli meats such as salami, sausages, hot dogs, etc., aren't the best things to add in your salads. Because they are high in calories and fat which will add to your waistline. Instead, stick to lean chicken or lean turkey meat.

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