[Would You Like Fries] With that Salad?
Just because it's called salad doesn't mean it's healthy, low calorie, low fat or not going to stick to your thighs like watermelon juice in the summer heat.
We've all been there. You know, out to lunch, with the girls from work or book club, where you have to be the first one to order. After scouring the menu and scanning the faces of the women at the table, especially the skinny ones, you order: "I'll have a grilled chicken sandwich; hold the mayonnaise, please." There. You did it. Ordered something halfway healthy.grilled chicken, even gave up the mayo. Then the waitress blurts out, "Do want fries with that, sugah?" All eyes avert to you as you reluctantly ask for the alternatives to fries, and order the fresh fruit. You can almost hear a collective sigh of relief as all eyes divert back to their menus. Then, as the waitress goes around the table taking orders, nothing else but an assortment of salads is ordered.
Not only are you disgusted that you won't be having fries today, as if ordering grilled chicken over a burger wasn't sacrifice enough, now you get the feeling that every time you speak, the others at the table will only hear "oinking" because YOU did not order a salad. It becomes clear that you are now an outcast because you have sided with the enemy.bread.
So when the food finally comes, you settle in with your grilled chicken sandwich and fruit. You contemplate taking off at least one piece of bread as a peace offering, but realize, as you look around the table, your friends are barely visible behind the ginormous salads sitting in front of each of them. Good Lord, one of these salads is large enough to feed a room full of multiplying rabbits.
But you're still the bad guy-after all, your meal contains bread and resembles a hamburger, even though it came with such a small amount of fruit you're wondering if it's a garnish. "Where are my damn French fries when I need them," you think, as your brow automatically furls.
Well, here's the kicker salad eaters: Just because it's called salad doesn't mean it's healthy, low calorie, low fat or not going to stick to your thighs like watermelon juice in the summer heat. Sorry if I'm bursting your salad-eating bubble, but guess what? Salad can be more fattening than a hamburger and, yes, French fries combined-more calories, even more fat! (Sit down, sweetie. You're going to be okay. Bless your salad-eating heart.just breathe.)
I did a little research and found that a traditional Cobb salad can have almost 1,000 calories and 75 grams of fat. Holy, moly-we could have shared the loaded cheese fries and not nearly have racked up that high of a nutritional bill. I know.eating salad just sounds like you're being so good. But it's time to take off your salad-colored glasses, and realize that you, too, are possibly eating badly, all in the name of salad.
Everyone knows that butter-laden croutons, chicken fingers, cheese, bacon, eggs, sunflower seeds, steak, olives and especially salad dressings pack on the calories and fat to a good, fresh, wholesome salad. We just continue to deceive ourselves into thinking as long as it's called a salad, we've got things under control. Say it ain't so. "It ain't so, sistah!"
Now, back to that grilled chicken sandwich with a God forsaken bun and fruit garnish. This innocuous, innocent, misunderstood meal, in its entirety, is less than 500 calories and only 11 fat grams. Don't get me wrong; I'm not rubbing this in your salad-eating face or anything like that. My point is eat and let eat. I'm not asking you to stop eating salad, or to stop loading it with whatever you want. I just think there should be equal opportunity eating-without judgement! So, please, raise your right hand and repeat after me: I promise, I won't say a word, or give you the evil eye, or talk about you when you go to the restroom, no matter what you order.even if you order Cobb salad.