The sneaky salad

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The sneaky salad

Not everything in your lunchtime favoriteis good for you. Here's what to toss.

By RACHEL WHARTON

Salads might not always be as healthy as you'd think.

A salad 'assembler' at Chop't, a chain known for quality ingredients.

It's been a delicious few weeks, but now it's time to squeeze back into those skinny jeans.

So like the rest of this holiday-bloated city, your 2007 lunch dates will be at the salad bar.

It can be a great move, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, but it doesn't mean you can fill that bowl willy-nilly.

"Salads do not equal low-calorie," says Taub-Dix, who runs private practices in both Long Island and Manhattan.

When made with leafy greens and vegetables, fiber-rich beans and low-cal proteins like chicken, they can be flavorful, filling and healthy, she says, "but you have to be careful about hidden traps."

Those include not just obvious diet-busters like blue cheese and bacon, but also predressed vegetables or low-fat dressings, which can be packed with high-calorie sweeteners, says , a salad-loving Institute of Culinary Education instructor who teaches greenmarket cooking classes.

Yet you don't want the opposite extreme, either, warns Matthau, the president of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health, a culinary school in the Flatiron District.

If you force yourself to lunch on just lemon-sprinkled lettuce in the middle of winter, Matthau says, you'll eventually end up in the break room with a pepperoni Hot Pocket.

The key to salad-bar success, in fact, is finding the mix that'll fill you up and please those taste buds while keeping calories in check.

And if you follow a few of these expert tips on doing just that (for both takeout salads and those you make at home), you'll have a fair chance of making it through the week without White Castle.

Six easy steps to the perfect salad

1. SUBSTITUTE & DISTRIBUTE

Above all, says Matthau of the Natural Gourmet Institute, use common sense: "If you're trying to lose weight," she says, "stay away from large amounts of dressing and large amounts of cheese."

Instead of steak or mayo-slathered tuna, says Dana Chais, a Manhattan dietitian and co-author of pocket nutrition reference guides, go for leaner, sauce-free proteins like boiled shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, chicken or tofu.

Another no-brainer, she says, is that "fresh, raw and unadulterated" fruits or vegetables have fewer calories than anything already mixed in a dressing.

But you don't have to give up all fat and flavor, says dietician Bonnie Taub-Dix - just use things wisely. A few sliced olives or chopped nuts will go farther than whole ones, for example, while a bit of grated Parmesan supplies more satisfaction than two lumps of goat cheese.

Plus, olive oil, avocado and nuts are all considered to have nutrient-rich fats, too, so they're smarter high-calorie, full-flavor choices.

2. THE RAINBOW CONNECTION

Salads are "carriers for many wonderful things," says Taub-Dix, like those 2 to 3 cups of veggies the USDA says we need each day. Using a mix of colors - carrots, beets, celery - is a good idea, she says, as that diversity ensures you're getting a range of nutrients.

Purples, oranges, greens and red (like crunchy bell peppers) are also good for "mood elevation," says Matthau. And don't forget the herbs, says culinary instructor : Any fresh herb will add intensity, aroma and flavor to a salad, so you'll enjoy it more.

3. DON'T DRESS TO KILL

You probably know that Thousand Island dressing isn't a great weight-loss pick. But even ordinary Italian can be high in calories.

If there's a dressing you just love, says Taub-Dix, add vinegar to the mix or ask the salad chef to do the same. (She recommends balsamic for its great sweet-tart flavor.)

, on the other hand, avoids premade salad dressings altogether, thanks to their added preservatives and processed sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup. "When in doubt," he says, "use oil and vinegar."

Matthau also suggests you keep an eye on the kinds of oil your salad bar sets out or serves - most places aren't using extra-virgin olive oil or even unrefined olive oil, meaning you're not getting the flavor or health benefits you could be. Keep a bottle or two in a drawer at work, or better still, and Matthau agree, make your own delicious dressing and keep it in the fridge.

4. FILLER UP

Face it, says , "most people eat a salad and they don't feel full." To keep yourself sated until supper (or snack time), add protein from cheese, meat, eggs or tofu - just stick to one if you're trying to cut calories.

Fiber is also a smart move, and you can get it from fruits, dark leafy greens, beans (like tasty kidney beans) or whole grains like brown rice, bulgur or quinoa. Both protein and fiber move slowly through your digestive system - especially those whole grains - which helps you feel full.

5. DISCRIMINATE

It's worth it to seek out a higher-quality salad bar, says Matthau, like a Whole Foods, Chop't, Amish Market, Garden of Eden or Tossed. (If you really want to drop a few pounds, walk to one a few blocks away from your workplace.)

Higher-end bars will have good-quality fresh ingredients, a variety of greens, proteins, beans and grains and higher turnover. They may be slightly more expensive than the nearest deli, but fresher ingredients mean more nutrients, more flavor and less preservatives. If you like the way your salads taste, after all, you'll stick with them instead of pizza and French fries.

6. WARM IT UP

In the winter, "a lot of people don't feel like eating salad," says Matthau, but "salad doesn't just have to be leafy greens."

Try a warm salad of grains like wild rice, lentils, potatoes or cooked vegetables like carrots and squash. Or mix in more a few of these with your greens, says Matthau. (Salads like these are also easier to make at home and transport, too.)

Whole Wheat Berry Salad

Makes 6-8 servings

From , chef/instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.

Whole grain salads like this one are filling, good for you and easy to transport to work.

2 cups wheat berries, uncooked6 Roma tomatoes, quartered1 heart of celery, diced (the small, pale, yellow stalks inside the bunch) 1 small red onion, diced1 English hothouse cucumber, pulp scooped out and diced6 sprigs of mint, chopped fine1/2 cup balsamic vinegar1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oilSalt and pepper to taste

Bring the wheat berries to a boil over a high heat in 6 cups of water; then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook the wheat berries for 30 to 40 minutes. Drain off any excess water and cool.

Remove the pulp from the tomatoes and push the pulp through a sieve to collect the juice. Discard the seeds. Dice the tomatoes. Mix the diced tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, celery, onion, cucumber, mint, vinegar, oil and berries together. Season with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.

Originally published on January 3, 2007