nd you thought salads were a low calorie option?

Here's news that they might just not be a wise choice.

With extravagant salad bars, rich dressings and exotic ingredients there tempt you, you could almost be forgiven for giving the drab green salad a big pass.

But you might just be veggie-wise but dressing foolish if you did that! 

Consider this: a Chicken Ceasar Salad has 440 calories, Wendy's Mandarin Salad (which you get in most salad bars) boasts of 630 calories.

Good time, we thought, to do a reality check to see just how many calories you might be consuming. Good time, also, to evaluate the nutritional content of your salad!

~ Killer dressings

According to Sous Chef Siddarth, who manages a fine dining Italian restaurant at a Mumbai five-star hotel, the most sinful salads to watch out for on any menu are the Russian Salad, the Chicken Salad with 1000 Island dressing, cheese-based salads, pesto-based salads and the Waldorf Salad.

The mayonnaise content in the Russian Salad and the 1000 Island dressing makes the calorie count skyrocket. And the Waldorf Salad comes with an icing of whipped cream!

The pesto is a sauce made by grinding a whole lot of ingredients together, ranging from cheese to pasta to pine nuts to butter.

But the calorie-conscious do have options.

"They could go for lime juice, vinegar and honey, which are low in calories. You could also have French or Italian dressing made with olive oil as opposed to vegetable oil," says Sous Chef Siddarth.

Olive oil, though not necessarily low in calories, contains 'good' fat content whereas vegetable oil has saturated fats, which are unhealthy.

~ Counting calories

Nutritionist and fitness trainer Samreedhi Sharma shares the calorie count for common salad dressings per tablespoon:

~ The 1000 Island dressing has 59 calories. 50 calories come from fat content.

~ French dressing has 73 calories. 65 calories stem from the fat content.

~ A plain mayonnaise dressing has 57 calories. 44 come from fat content.

~ Ranch dressing has 74 calories. 70 calories come from fat.

"And you will probably use at least three tablespoons of these dressings," says Samreedhi.

On the other hand, one full cup of curds is all of 90 calories only!

~ Experiment with these dressings at home

If mere lime juice and vinegar don't satiate your appetite, get a little adventurous. Try these dressings.

~ Dietician Seemma Talreja tips you off with a low-calorie dressing recipe. Instead of mayonnaise, opt for 'hung curds'. All you need to do is remove the whey, whip up the curd pulp and mix with veggies. It is a super mayo substitute and just as delicious.

~ CJ Brough of DailyDietTracker.co.uk (as told to The Guardian) has some super innovative dressing ideas. For instance, you could roast cherry tomatoes for just ten minutes in a hot oven, toss into the salad bowl where they break down to form a delicious fat-free dressing.

You could also use grilled peppers, which are more palatable and digestible than raw peppers. They make a natural dressing mixed into a salad.

If you love your croutons, try toasting the bread in the oven with some herbs and garlic rather than frying it.

Swap big hunks of mozzarella cheese for Parmesan cheese shavings, which give you more flavour for fewer calories.

~ Another way to make your salad yummy is to add flavour with herbs like coriander, mint, chopped or garlic powder and chilly flakes. Mmm!

~ Spice it up sans the calories with coriander or onion chutney.

~ Killer ingredients

Apart from the dressing, there are other sinful ingredients, which could sabotage a perfectly decent (read low calorie) salad. For instance, someone might decide to toss in some cubes of Mozzarella cheese!

On the other hand, there is the Waldorf Salad which has walnuts. The Russian Salad has potatoes and peas, again high in calories. Deep friend croutons, which are relished by many salad enthusiasts, are also high in calories. If you spot canned fruits, at the salad bars, avoid them. These have high sugar content. And don't forget to resist the seductive flavour of Mozarella cheese!

All these ingredients contribute to raising the calorie count in your salad. So if you want to stick to an unadulterated low calorie salad, we advise you to steer clear off the nuts, the cheese and the deep fried croutons.

~ Is your salad healthy?

It doesn't just boil down to calories. The nutritional value of your salad is also important. The ideal salad is low in fat content, is high in protein, essential vitamins and minerals.

"The best veggies of the lot," says Samreedhi, "are tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, French beans, lettuce, parsley and fresh fruits, because they are low in calories and high in essential vitamins, minerals and fibre. Avoid potatoes, peas and bananas."

Olena Baker, nutritional therapist at the British Heart Foundation, tells The Guardian that you can even turn your salad into a complete meal, mixing chopped vegetables and a bit of protein like beans, chicken, turkey or tuna.

Vegetarians could toss in some tofu, which will contribute the protein content to the mix.

"But it is advisable not to mix protein items," cautions Samreedhi. "Instead of adding both chicken and tofu, choose one of them."

~ Salad shortcuts when dining out

When at your favourite restaurant, don't go berserk when you set eyes on the menu!

Make a well-informed choice by exercising these tips while placing your order:

~ Scrutinise the ingredients carefully before placing your order. This will give you an idea about the calorie damages in the salad.

~ If you absolutely cannot abstain from at least some fatty dressing, ask for it 'on the side'. This way, you get to control how much you pour over the salad. If you order the Waldorf salad, request for the whipped cream and the walnuts to be served in a separate bowl.

~ Steer clear of cream-based and pesto-based dressings, and garnish your salad with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pepper or chilly flakes.

Now, that you are salad-savvy, choose or whip up your salad with care.

And if you are still piling on the kilos, you can be rest assured that the villain in the piece isn't your salad!

Illustration: Dominic Xavier