The savvy salad bar patron is leery of the extra fat, calories and sodium that lurk alongside the fruits and vegetables. However, the unsuspecting, uninformed diner could end up eating twice the fat and calories intended. In fact, the American Dietetic Association reports that salads are "a main source of dietary fat for many women." *

  Knowing which items to select is the key. For example, did you know that avocado has five times the calories as shredded carrots and that two tablespoons of dressing can add as many as 160 calories to your salad? 

  For a more healthful salad, the general advice is to cut back on high-fat dressings, crackers, cheese, olives, nuts, bacon bits, desserts and items containing mayonnaise or cream. The following tips and nutrition chart will help you learn the secrets to being salad savvy.
Smart Salad Tips

  Here is some advice on how to keep your salad light and lean:

• Toss your salad with one tablespoon of dressing to lightly coat it. Dressings made with olive oil are heart-healthy. Add a sprinkle of lemon pepper for extra flavor.
• Add garbanzo and kidney beans for protein and fiber. They will help your stomach feel full.
• Add cottage cheese for calcium. It has fewer calories and fat grams than hard cheeses.
• Load up on crunchy, colorful vegetables and fresh fruits.
• Choose dark greens. Romaine lettuce, spinach and mesclun have more nutrients than iceberg lettuce.
• Opt for a smaller plate. If you don't have room for extra items, you won't be as tempted.

  Have you ever wondered how many calories and fat grams those sunflower seeds or olives add to your salad? The following chart from The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide will help you be more salad savvy.

 Note: Nutrient values have been rounded. "Trace" on all the vegetables and fruits is about .05 to 0.2 grams of fat.

 Table source: American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, CFCS, Chronimed Publishing, Minneapolis, MN, 1998.

* The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide by Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, CFCS, p. 364, Chronimed Publishing, Minneapolis, MN, 1998.