Can You Lose Weight by Eating Salads? Salad is a type of dish consisting of vegetables and usually added to the sauce as a dressing [1,2]. Not only vegetables, sometimes salads are also made from vegetables mixed with fruit or meat [1,2].
Because the composition of vegetables is more, salads are one of the healthiest and most recommended foods when trying to lose weight.
But before eating salad for a diet, find out if it really can help you lose weight.
Can You Lose Weight by Eating Salads?
Yes, as long as you maintain your calorie intake and don’t use excessive high-fat dressings [3,4,5].
Salads can burn calories, especially if you eat them with healthy wheat [3,4,5].
A sandwich made from whole wheat bread can be combined with vegetables for a salad menu [3].
Raw green vegetables are the best because apart from making them very easy, the benefits are far greater than cooked vegetables [3].
If you want to lose weight while reducing belly fat and building muscle, make a salad with 3 simple ingredients [3].
Make sure that these 3 ingredients are able to provide a full effect, are delicious on the tongue and are beneficial for nourishing the body [3].
Any recommendations or ideas for making salads with 3 ingredients that can be done quickly are [3]:
- Cucumber, red cabbage and carrot
- Tomatoes, white onions and avocados
- Mushrooms, red peppers and leeks
- Onions, tomatoes and cucumbers
Add oregano, black pepper, sea salt and/or black olives as flavor enhancers, but just give it to taste [3].
If you want it to be healthier, add a dressing in the form of balsamic vinegar and olive oil [3].
As a source of protein, add pasta from whole wheat or whole wheat to make it more filling, add energy, and supports muscle building [3].
If you want a salad without dressing, it will be lower in calories and much faster in losing weight [5].
Even when you want to add dressings, avoid adding high-calorie or creamy dressings [5].
The addition of dressings like that does add a delicious taste to salads, but is not effective enough to lose weight [5].
In addition, you can also lose weight by eating salads and drinking more water [5].
In a 2010 study by Virginia Tech nutrition professor Brenda Davy, participants in the study who consumed 2 glasses of water before a meal lost more weight than participants who did not drink while on a low-calorie diet. [6].
So if you want to lose weight significantly, balance eating salads with more water intake [5,6].
Of course, to maximize results, it is also important to do regular exercise [3].
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Other Benefits of Eating Salad Every Day
In addition to helping you lose weight, eating salad every day can provide other health benefits such as the following: [7]:
- Get high nutrition
- Improve memory and maintain brain health
- Reduce risk of heart disease
- Prevent premature death
- Reduce the risk of getting a stroke
- Reduce cancer risk
- Hydrate skin
- Strengthen bones
- Maintain weight (if you have managed to lower it)
- Control blood sugar levels
- Reduces levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) thanks to its high fiber content.
- Facilitates digestion and prevents constipation
Before deciding to go on a salad diet for weight loss, consult with your doctor about your overall health condition to make it safer.
Can You Lose Weight by Eating Salads? Watch This Video
- Liane S. Roe, Jennifer S. Meengs, & Barbara J. Rolls. Salad and satiety: the effect of timing of salad consumption on meal energy intake. Appetite; 2013.
- Shereen Lehman, MS & Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN. How to Make a Salad a Satisfying Meal. Verywell Fit; 2020.
- Jon Pearlman. Fat Burning Salad – How Does It Work?. Mission Lean; 2021.
- Rebecca Strong & Kiersten Hickman. What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Salad Every Day. Eat This, Not That; 2021.
- Carly Schuna. How Much Weight Can You Lose by Drinking Water & Eating Salads?. Live Strong; 2022.
- Brenda Davy. Clinical trial confirms effectiveness of simple appetite control method. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; 2010.
- Lorna Kring. 9 Good Reasons to Eat A Salad A Day. Foodal; 2015.
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