010534 Is Greasy Burger Healthier Than Salad?

A recent study found that 85% of Americans eat at least one salad each week, whether they're dieting or not.

But did you know that what you're putting on your salad might actually be worse for you than eating a greasy burger?

NewsChannel5's Angie Lau has some On Your Side tips on how to avoid salad-bar fat traps.

It starts with good intentions, but somewhere between the salad greens and the dressing, things have gone awry.

"It's very easy to overeat on salads," Monica McAllister, a clinical dietitian with University Hospitals, said. "If you're putting on the wrong toppings, you're eating too much."

It's not uncommon for McAllister to see a salad loaded with toppings that pack on the pounds.

For example, are you putting bacon bits onto your salad? Well, they have no protein, no fiber and no nutrients, but plenty of fat. The same goes for chickpeas and sunflower seeds.

"And on a salad, it doesn't look like we put very much on, but we just added about 125 to 200 calories to how we filled the spoon," McAllister said. "And croutons might be part of everyone's favorite salad, but watch out for the size. The bigger they are might mean they're homemade. Translation? Deep fried."

Which has more calories, a quiche or a salad?

"Probably my quiche, because of all the eggs and butter and cheese and all the other stuff in there," Lela Foster of Cleveland said. "And my salad dressing isn't fat-free either, (it has) some deep-fried noodles ... this one's 800 to 900 calories. Oh my! I think I'll stick with my quiche."

To keep your meal healthy, choose low-fat dressing, stay clear from pasta salad chock full of mayonnaise and choose toppings carefully. It might mean the difference between losing a pound or gaining two, WEWS reports.

McAllister said that another tip is to watch your portion size. She suggests cutting your portions in half, because you save hundreds of calories.

For more ways to watch calories when building a salad, click here. There you'll find charts showing you dozens of salad ingredients, their calories and fat grams.

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