I’ll take the fried chicken tender salad... I’m on a diet.

We all have made the mistake of assuming the dinner salad at our favorite restaurant is healthier than the burger with fries simply because well…it’s a salad! Most people would be surprised to know there are diet dismantling salad’s that pack as much fat and calories than a Whopper with cheese and side of fries.

NBC’s Today Show has a regular eye-opening segment based on the popular book, Eat This Not That, which looks at seemingly harmless food choices we make every day and recommends healthier, no less tasty alternatives. Many people loss ground with their healthy eating habits by making the assumption that, “I can eat whatever I like as long as it’s on a bed of lettuce.” Well that’s simply not the case. Dinner salads are often enhanced with high caloric dressings, cheesy topping and or course beloved crotons. We often overlook the salad additions choosing rather to focus on the health benefits of the crisp bed of romaine lettuce lying beneath the fried chicken, bacon and blue cheese crumbles.

Remember, not all salads are made the same. Ask for the dressing on the side, opt for grilled rather than fried chicken and forgo the bacon and blue cheese. Your waistline will thank you later.


Link to the Today Show segment
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38741683/ns/today-foodwine/?gt1=43001