Lisa Lombardi, executive deputy editor, loves apple-walnut salad with honey-balsamic vinaigrette: romaine lettuce, apples, walnuts, chicken, dried cranberries, goat-cheese crumbles, and honey-balsamic vinaigrette.
Lisa can’t resist this sweet, rich salad, which gets most of its calories from walnuts, dressing, and cheese. To cut back, use one of our tricks: Swap the fruit—using fresh instead of dried helps you feel satisfied with fewer calories. Here’s how to transform this lunch.
Goat-cheese crumbles
Order 1 tablespoon of cheese (that’s a third of the usual amount put on this salad), and you’ll still have plenty to go around—just toss it in well before you eat. You save: 76 calories, 7 g fat.
Honey-balsamic vinaigrette
Choose fat-free honey Dijon or a similar dressing. You save: 160 calories, 21 g fat.
Dried cranberries
Ask for grapes instead. Dried fruit can inflate a salad’s calories because it’s not as filling as the fresh kind. By adding fresh fruit to your salad, you’ll cut the calories and keep the sweetness. You save: 31 calories, 0 g fat.
Walnuts
Get just a few walnut halves (about 6) instead of the usual ladleful; you’ll end up with a third of the usual calories. The heart-healthy fat in nuts help you feel full, but a small bit will do the trick. You save: 154 calories, 14 g fat.
| Before* | Skinny Version | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 893 | 472 |
| Fat | 62 g (9 g saturated) | 19 g (5 g saturated) |
| Sodium | 432 mg | 387 mg |
*Nutritional analysis is based on typical meal-size salads at chain restaurants.
By Colleen Rush
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Comments (2)
I love how all of your recipes have a breakdown for calories, fat, sodium,etc. It makes trying to diet much easier and the recipes are healthy. I make them for my family and they don’t even realize they are cutting fat because they taste so good.
This is one of my favorite salads. Who knew I was eating that many calories and so much fat. Thanks for the tips!