Men's Fitness: Salad-bar savvy: remember these fat-loss tips when you're staring through the sneeze

You may think you're an enlightened eater because you pass up the bacon burger in favor of a trip to the salad bar, but you'd be surprised at what that choice can cost you in terms of calories, fat and sodium. Most salad bars are fraught with dietary doom, hiding several forms of nefarious fats. An average plate of unwise choices can top out at more than 1,500 calories and 45 percent fat--more than a Big Mac, fries and a shake. So before you belly up to the salad bar you need to know how to skillfully sidestep the fat-laden mines buried in that field of greens.

CREATING THE ULTIMATE SALAD

The first thing to guard against is the "get my money's worth" mentality. Everyone loves a good deal, but you don't want to bargain with your health, and all-you-can-eat salad bars are an invitation to excess. You'll find the most basic offerings are the healthiest ones as well.

* DARK LEAFY GREENS That familiar salad staple iceberg lettuce has little to offer beyond a satisfying crunch. (That's not to say it's bad for you. In fact, since lettuce is mostly water, it has zero calories, and metabolizing it will actually help you burn calories.) With vitamins and nutrients, however, the darker-green the leaves, the more nutritious the salad. Use spinach, romaine, Boston lettuce, endive, kale, and baby field greens to boost the nutritional charge. All of the dark choices contain carotenes, to help ward off age-related diseases; calcium, to keep your bones strong; and iron, to keep your energy up (although getting enough iron should not be of much concern to the overwhelming majority of men).

* FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Choose fresh raw vegetables over those marinated in oil, and you'll save at least 13 grams of fat. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber, but their benefits are negated when they're swimming in oil or creamy sauces. Make room on your plate for the following salad standouts:

* BROCCOLI President Bush the Elder may have publicly disavowed broccoli, but that doesn't mean you should: A mere six florets gives you a day's worth of vitamin C and 20 percent of your beta-carotene. Broccoli, along with cauliflower and cabbage, belongs to the family of plants known as cruciferous vegetables, which are rich with antioxidants.

Minerals: iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus

Antioxidants: vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, glutathione, indoles, lutein, folate

Fiber: 2 1/2 grams per cup

* CHERRY TOMATOES Add four of these tykes to your salad, and you'll get as much prostate-protecting lycopene as you would from one of their full-grown kin. You'll also benefit from a hit of the flavonoid quercetin as well as a dash of beta-carotene.

Minerals: potassium

Antioxidants: lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin A, quercetin, saponins

Fiber: one gram per four cherry tomatoes

* MUSHROOMS Though mushrooms are popularly thought of as a vegetable, they are actually fungi. They do share some of the benefits of vegetables. They're low in calories, have no cholesterol, and are virtually free of fat and sodium. Mushrooms also contain B-complex vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid, not easily found in produce. In addition, some varieties contain the antioxidant mineral selenium, which has proven to help prevent several types of cancer.

Minerals: potassium, zinc, phosphorus

Antioxidants: selenium, folate

Fiber: three grams per ounce

* KALE An excellent source of vitamins A and C, kale also brings calcium, iron and fiber to your plate. The National Cancer Institute reports that foods rich in selenium and vitamins A and C help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Minerals: potassium, iron, calcium

Antioxidants: vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, lutein, folate

Fiber. 2 1/2 grams per one cup

* BEETS Although they can register a high sugar content, beets have only 50 calories and half a gram of fat per three ounces. While the root of the beet is a nutritional powerhouse, the leaves are just as potent, containing antioxidant carotenoids, chlorophyll and lutein.

Minerals: potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus

Antioxidants: folate, anthocyanidins, a small amount of vitamin C

Fiber: 3 1/2 grams per cup

* BABY CORN A good source of fiber, B vitamins and zinc. Eating fibrous foods, such as corn, lowers the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes.

Minerals: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium

Antioxidants: alpha-carotene, folate, vitamin A, ferulic acid

Fiber: 41/2 grams per cup

* CANTALOUPE AND STRAWBERRIES Skip the chocolate pudding in favor of this dynamic duo. Both are low in fat and high in vitamins and pack the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C and folate. As dessert, dip the fruit in plain vanilla yogurt for a protein-rich ending to your meal.

Cantaloupe
 Minerals: potassium, magnesium, calcium
 Antioxidants: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein,
 vitamin A, folate
 Fiber: 1 1/2 grams per cup

Strawberries
 Minerals: potassium, calcium, phosphorus
 Antioxidants: vitamin C, phenolics, flavonoids
 Fiber: 3 1/2 grams per cup

* PUT OUT AN SOS (SAUCE ON THE SIDE) Be aware that one ladle of dressing is equal to four tablespoons and can add 350 to 400 calories to your salad. A good alternative is to portion out one-half scoop into a separate container and lightly dip your fork into it, instead of drenching the greens in dressing.

PACKING A PROTEIN PUNCH

Men who are looking to build muscle should try to consume one gram of protein per pound of body weight, which is roughly the amount your body can use in a day, says a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Below are some protein-rich foods that can turn a wimpy plate of rabbit food into a muscle-packed meal.

* LEAN MEATS AND FISH Spoon on a half-cup of canned chunk white tuna (13 grams protein, one gram fat) or six one-ounce slices of lean roast beef (10g protein, 3g fat), skinless chicken breast (9g protein, 1g fat) or turkey breast (11g protein, 2g fat).

* EGGS A whole egg has 75 calories, six grams of protein and five grams of fat. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that prevent age-related vision loss. If you toss the yolk--which is easy to separate out when the egg is hard-boiled--you'll eliminate all the fat.

* GARBANZO BEANS (CHICKPEAS) Garbanzo beans, likewise black beans, lentils and split peas, not only are rich in protein, but are a good source of fiber, which leaves you feeling full for hours after a meal. A half-cup of beans delivers six grams of protein, five grams of fiber and a spate of B vitamins.

* COTTAGE CHEESE Half a cup of the low-fat version has only 100 calories, 21/2 grams of fat and 14 grams of protein.

* NUTS A spoonful of almonds or walnuts Sprinkled over your salad will give you an extra six grams of protein. Although both almonds and walnuts are high in fat (16 grams per one-ounce tablespoon), recent studies have shown that adding monounsaturated fats to your daily diet will help decrease the "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood.

* SUNFLOWER SEEDS One tablespoon may add 80 calories and seven grams of fat, but these small kernels are a good source of protein, fiber and essential vitamins.

* PLAIN YOGURT A half-cup of nonfat yogurt has six grams of protein and 70 calories. It also contains 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance for calcium.

* TOFU One of the best non-meat sources of protein around. Just two tablespoons of tofu cubes delivers nine grams of protein with only five grams of fat and 85 calories. Tofu also contains isoflavones, cancer-fighting substances that have been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

SALAD-BAR FAT TRAPS

Just like the women you meet on your Internet dating service, salads can be too big, too fat and badly dressed. Below are some toppings that can end up sabotaging your diet as well as undermining your nutrition.

* HOUSE DRESSING With dressings, as with blackjack, the house is not your friend. Avoid any topping that contains mayo, high-fat cheeses, and cream. You probably already know to stay away from blue cheese (eight grams of fat per tablespoon), but know that Caesar, honey mustard, Thousand Island and ranch are equally wicked. Just two tablespoons of Caesar dressing will set you back at least 16 grams of fat and 150 calories. Go for low-calorie dressings with thinner consistencies, such as Italian and French (they also spread more evenly over the salad). Better yet, dress your salad with olive oil and red-wine vinegar. The oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which reduce your heart-disease risk; the vinegar adds flavonoids, which keep your arteries unclogged.

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* AMERICAN AND CHEDDAR CHEESE A one-ounce sprinkling (two tablespoons) of either cheese adds 114 calories and nine grams of fat, most of it saturated. Use just a touch of extra-flavorful cheeses like Parmesan, Romano and feta. Also, always choose shredded cheese over cubed. One little cube of cheese can pack in as many as 50 calories and three grams of fat.

* BACON BITS Pass on these fake-tasting pork pebbles. No protein, no fiber, but plenty of fat.

* CHOW MEIN NOODLES Just one tablespoon carries 50 calories and two grams of fat. The typical Chinese chicken salad contains a half-cup of noodles, which translates into 155 calories and nine grams of fat.

* CROUTONS These bite-sized bread nuggets are usually soaked in fat. One-half cup (about 20 croutons) has 93 calories and four grams of fat.

* DELI MEATS Classic luncheon meats such as ham, pastrami, pepperoni and salami get around 60 percent of their calories from fat and contain heavy amounts of sodium.

* SIDE SALADS Nix anything mixed with butter, oil, mayo, cheese or whipped cream, and anything white and creamy. This includes potato salad (360 calories and 23 grams of fat per cup), pasta salad (400 calories, 21g fat) and tuna salad (340 calories, 21g fat). You should also avoid egg, seafood and macaroni salad. A ladleful of any of these contributes an average of 15 grams of fat and 300 calories.

* CORN OR TORTILLA CHIPS Just 12 measly chips tacks on an additional 140 calories and seven grams of fat.

 1. Romaine
    lettuce
 2. Spinach
 3. Endives
 4. Boston lettuce
 5. Kale
 6. Baby field greens
 7. Cherry tomatoes
 8. Mushrooms
 9. Broccoli
10. Baby corn
11. Beets
12. Tuna
13. Roast beef
14. Chicken
15. Black beans
16. Garbanzo
    beans
17. Split
    peas
18. Lentils

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