A salad is a dish made up of a combination of tiny food items, generally vegetables or fruit. However, there may be nearly any sort of ready-to-eat food in distinct salad variants.
How about making a easy shift to your diet, like almost every day adding a salad? Experts say with plenty of health advantages it can pay off.
They warn against salads, however, overlaid with creamy dressing or packed with fatty, high-calorie mix-ins (an extra ingredient blended in food to add a distinct flavor or texture).
“Salad doesn’t necessarily need to be sweet or tasty, what is required most is for one to get the nutritional benefits,” says Joseph Uwiragiye,” the head of the nutrition department at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK).
He says” adding creamy dressings can lead to gaining of weight, which is not healthy.”
Uwiragiye says a leafy green salad includes a strong nutrient punch, with distinct health advantages for each type of leafy green.
The nice thing about this specific salad, he says, is it’s small in calories and fibre-packed.
“This means that if one consumes a leafy salad, they will fill up easily and most importantly, with fewer calories,” he says.
Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green salad of 150 calories or less, enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the amount of calories eaten during the meal.
Besides, he says, fibre also improves the health of the digestive system.
He claims dark leafy greens such as lettuce, kale, and spinach are packed with vitamins A, C, E, and K, all of which are useful to the body.
The combination of vitamins found in these greens supports the immune system, protects bones and keeps the cardiovascular system healthy, according to Uwiragiye.
Erick Musengimana, a nutritionist at Kigali’s Rwanda Diabetes Association, points out that salad is a good food choice, particularly when integrated with other ingredients, such as those that contain protein.
He says “protein provides amino acids, the building blocks for the body’s bones, muscles and cartilage. It’s also vital for the synthesis of enzymes and hormones.”
Meanwhile, Musengimana claims it reduces the danger of developing heart disease later in life by eating enough fiber contained in a leafy salad.
“Vegetables in a salad are good sources of insoluble fibre, which keeps the digestive tract healthy. If you add nuts, seeds or beans to the salad, you’ll get a boost of soluble fibre that helps lower cholesterol and keeps blood sugar balanced,” he says.
Musengimana adds that a salad can be crunchy and enjoyable to eat because of its texture, color and aroma, apart from offering health advantages.
Eating a high-fibre meal, like a salad, Uwiragiye says, can prevent constipation as well.
Alternatively, he says, eating a little good fat like the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado, and nuts with a salad helps the body to absorb protective phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables.
A nutritionist at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet, a clinic in Kigali dealing with diet, physical wellness, and lifestyle, Private Kamanzi claims green salads are rich in nutrients.
This, he says, is because leaves contain the light-catching, energy-converting machinery of plants.
He adds that vitamin A, C, beta-carotene, calcium, folate, fiber, and phytonutrients are found in salad greens.
Simultaneously ; he holds that they are a great option for a healthy diet as they do not contain cholesterol and are naturally small in calories and sodium.
“Many of the health benefits that leafy greens provide come from phytonutrients, unique compounds that provide protection for plants,” he adds.
However, Kamanzi recommends that with running tap water, fruits and vegetables should be carefully washed, if necessary ; this is particularly crucial if they are to be consumed raw.
