Salad-bar savvy: remember these fat-loss tips when you're staring through the sneeze guard

Men's Fitness, Feb, 2003

You may think you're an enlightened eater because you pass up the bacon burger in favor of a trip to the salad bar, but you'd be surprised at what that choice can cost you in terms of calories, fat and sodium. Most salad bars are fraught with dietary doom, hiding several forms of nefarious fats. An average plate of unwise choices can top out at more than 1,500 calories and 45 percent fat--more than a Big Mac, fries and a shake. So before you belly up to the salad bar you need to know how to skillfully sidestep the fat-laden mines buried in that field of greens.

CREATING THE ULTIMATE SALAD

The first thing to guard against is the "get my money's worth" mentality. Everyone loves a good deal, but you don't want to bargain with your health, and all-you-can-eat salad bars are an invitation to excess. You'll find the most basic offerings are the healthiest ones as well.

* DARK LEAFY GREENS That familiar salad staple iceberg lettuce has little to offer beyond a satisfying crunch. (That's not to say it's bad for you. In fact, since lettuce is mostly water, it has zero calories, and metabolizing it will actually help you burn calories.) With vitamins and nutrients, however, the darker-green the leaves, the more nutritious the salad. Use spinach, romaine, Boston lettuce, endive, kale, and baby field greens to boost the nutritional charge. All of the dark choices contain carotenes, to help ward off age-related diseases; calcium, to keep your bones strong; and iron, to keep your energy up (although getting enough iron should not be of much concern to the overwhelming majority of men).

* FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Choose fresh raw vegetables over those marinated in oil, and you'll save at least 13 grams of fat. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber, but their benefits are negated when they're swimming in oil or creamy sauces. Make room on your plate for the following salad standouts:

* BROCCOLI President Bush the Elder may have publicly disavowed broccoli, but that doesn't mean you should: A mere six florets gives you a day's worth of vitamin C and 20 percent of your beta-carotene. Broccoli, along with cauliflower and cabbage, belongs to the family of plants known as cruciferous vegetables, which are rich with antioxidants.

Minerals: iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus

Antioxidants: vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, glutathione, indoles, lutein, folate

Fiber: 2 1/2 grams per cup

* CHERRY TOMATOES Add four of these tykes to your salad, and you'll get as much prostate-protecting lycopene as you would from one of their full-grown kin. You'll also benefit from a hit of the flavonoid quercetin as well as a dash of beta-carotene.

Minerals: potassium

Antioxidants: lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin A, quercetin, saponins

Fiber: one gram per four cherry tomatoes

* MUSHROOMS Though mushrooms are popularly thought of as a vegetable, they are actually fungi. They do share some of the benefits of vegetables. They're low in calories, have no cholesterol, and are virtually free of fat and sodium. Mushrooms also contain B-complex vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid, not easily found in produce. In addition, some varieties contain the antioxidant mineral selenium, which has proven to help prevent several types of cancer.

Minerals: potassium, zinc, phosphorus

Antioxidants: selenium, folate

Fiber: three grams per ounce

* KALE An excellent source of vitamins A and C, kale also brings calcium, iron and fiber to your plate. The National Cancer Institute reports that foods rich in selenium and vitamins A and C help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Minerals: potassium, iron, calcium

Antioxidants: vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, lutein, folate

Fiber. 2 1/2 grams per one cup

* BEETS Although they can register a high sugar content, beets have only 50 calories and half a gram of fat per three ounces. While the root of the beet is a nutritional powerhouse, the leaves are just as potent, containing antioxidant carotenoids, chlorophyll and lutein.

Minerals: potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus

Antioxidants: folate, anthocyanidins, a small amount of vitamin C

Fiber: 3 1/2 grams per cup

* BABY CORN A good source of fiber, B vitamins and zinc. Eating fibrous foods, such as corn, lowers the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes.

Minerals: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium

Antioxidants: alpha-carotene, folate, vitamin A, ferulic acid

Fiber: 41/2 grams per cup

* CANTALOUPE AND STRAWBERRIES Skip the chocolate pudding in favor of this dynamic duo. Both are low in fat and high in vitamins and pack the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C and folate. As dessert, dip the fruit in plain vanilla yogurt for a protein-rich ending to your meal.

Cantaloupe
 Minerals: potassium, magnesium, calcium
 Antioxidants: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein,
 vitamin A, folate
 Fiber: 1 1/2 grams per cup

Strawberries
 Minerals: potassium, calcium, phosphorus
 Antioxidants: vitamin C, phenolics, flavonoids
 Fiber: 3 1/2 grams per cup