You think it’s health-savvy to chose the salad bar over a bacon cheeseburger and fries? Unknowingly, you could have been getting far more in fat and calories than the burger meal. Even at a salad bar, there are plenty of dietary land mines among the healthier choices. Prepared salads, oily croutons and ladles of dressing can easily add up to 1,000 calories or more, not to mention countless grams of fat (and sodium).

Lets see some tips on how to make a perfect salad and your next trip to the salad bar, for all it’s worth.

1. Build your base with Salad Greens.

Start by filling your plate with salad greens. Your salad should be 75% green vegetables.

You could use green veggies like Spinach, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Celery, Arugula, Romaine Lettuce, Spring mix or Kale.

2. Break the Green by some color: Raw Vegetables

You won’t be doing yourself a favor if your salad consists of iceberg lettuce and a couple of cucumbers.

It’s best to choose veggies that are in season:
Tomatoes, fresh or sun-dried
Cucumbers
Zucchini or other squash
Mushrooms
Yellow, orange, red, or green bell peppers
Cabbage, sliced
Carrots
Beets, roasted or boiled
Radishes
Sweet corn
Sweet potatoes, roasted or steamed
Peas
Onion
Artichoke hearts
Roasted red peppers
Hearts of palm
An easy way to make sure you have a good load of nutrients is to pick vegetables with different colors. Add some reds with tomatoes, beets and peppers. Toss in the yellows with summer squash or bell peppers. Mix in orange carrots, purple shredded cabbage and white or gray mushrooms. If they are available, add roasted red peppers, which are fat-free and loaded with flavor.

3. Enjoy Lean Proteins

If the salad is your main meal, lean proteins are a must.

Lean cuts of grilled or baked meat – chicken, turkey pork or beef
Shrimp, crab meat, scallops or other seafood
Salmon, tuna or other fish
Tofu, plain or cooked
Tempeh, plain or cooked
Edamame
Beans – black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans
Hummus
Crumbled veggie burger
Hard boiled eggs
Cottage cheese
Low-fat cheese
Plain cut-up turkey or chicken breast, cubed tofu, cottage cheese, undressed tuna fish or hardboiled eggs are all good choices. Plain chickpeas and beans also deliver on protein, and are high in fiber to boot (5 to 7 grams per half cup).

4. Go easy on the dressing: Choose Healthy Fats

Avocado
Nuts (Almonds, walnuts and pine nuts)
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Olive oil based dressings
Flax seed oil or ground flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Olive oil (and vinegar)
Olives
Feel free to sprinkle tiny portions of nuts, seeds or olives, which will offer a dose of healthy fat and add some fun crunch and flavor. Items such as cheeses, croutons and bacon should be limited or avoided.

5. Avoid Prepared Salads

Such as tuna, chicken, potato and macaroni salad; these items are often loaded with full-fat mayonnaises and oils. Just a half cup serving can average 10 grams of fat and almost 200 calories.

6. A Good Salad Doesn’t Drown In Dressing

1. Just 2 tablespoons of a full-fat dressing can cost you 150 calories and 15 grams of fat. A typical ladle at a salad bar holds 4 tablespoons. Fat-free dressings will be lower in fat and calories, but often full of sugar and other additives.
2. Instead, use small amounts of marinated veggies or beans, which will help dress your salad without going overboard.
3. Also, most salad bars have the option of plain olive oil and vinegar. Try just drizzling on a little olive oil – and be generous with the vinegar.
4. Top your salad with just a dash of Parmesan cheese for extra kick and flavor.

7. Mind The Bread

Finally, many salad bars offer breads, rolls and/or crackers for the taking. Don’t fall prey to endless servings, and keep to one portion, if any.

As for preparing the salad, simply toss the ingredients of your choice into a large bowl (or small bowl for a single salad) and enjoy. You can plan ahead and prep some of the more time consuming items early. For instance you can chop veggies and cook a pot of beans on Sunday evening so weekday lunches or dinners can be thrown together in a flash. Have fun trying out the endless number of salad possibilities!