Top 5 Ways To Ruin a Healthy Salad

1. Use Only Iceberg lettuce

Iceberg lettuce has a nice crunch, but almost no nutritional value. Use a variety of darker greens like spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, dandelion greens, kale, watercress and basil leaves all add flavor and more nutritional value than plain old iceberg lettuce.

2. Use lots of Croutons and Bacon Bits

These extra toppings don't add any nutritional value, but they do add a lot of calories if you pile them on. One half cup of croutons has about 100 calories. One tablespoon of chopped walnuts or flaxseed would make a much better choice for nutritional value.

3. Add Extra Cheese

Cheese is a great source of calcium and protein. Just pay attention to how much cheese you are using. Adding too much cheese can add many extra calories. In fact only one-forth cup of shredded cheese adds over 100 calories.

4. Pile on the Fried and Processed Meat

Adding slices of cooked chicken breast can transform a healthy salad into a healthy meal. However, adding three deep-fried chicken strips to a salad will turn a healthy salad into a health-disaster. Deep fried meats add unhealthy fats and extra calories. Another health-busting idea is to add several slices of processed sandwich meats.

5. Drench Your Salad With Dressing

Most of us like to top our salads with a bit of dressing. That means only a tablespoon or two. More salad dressing adds too many calories and extra fat. A better idea is to forgo the salad dressing and squeeze some fresh lemon and lime juice on your salad, or use some salsa.