Let's Eat Salad!

Is it healthy to eat a salad every day? That depends on your definition of healthy. If being healthy means living longer, looking your best, and enjoying a better quality of life, then, yes, it is healthy to eat a salad every day. How much to eat and what the best time is to eat salad are questions to consider, but there’s no question there are benefits to eating salad every day.

1. It's an Important Source of Daily Fiber 

Much as it’s challenging to get enough protein without eating meat, it’s really tough to get the daily fibre you need without eating vegetables that are high in fibre. Many common components of the salad are high in fibre, in particular leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and kale. There’s also good fibre to be had in broccoli, celery, carrots, gourds, and some beans.

2. Improved Digestion

Fibre’s importance begins with the way it can aid strong digestion. For this reason, the best time to eat salad is at the beginning of a meal, to lay a healthy groundwork for fattier and more acidic courses later. That said, larger than usual amounts of fibre can lead to a grumbling stomach, so while you can eat salad at night, it’s probably better to keep salad to a minimum with your evening meal, so the body’s digestive efforts don’t keep you awake. In that sense, the best time to eat salad is with your all you can eat lunch! 

3. Helps Manage Weight and Appetite

Does that mean too much lettuce is bad for you? Not really. You could make yourself ill eating too much of it in one sitting because fibre-rich vegetables like lettuce make you feel fuller, faster, so when you eat too much lettuce you run the risk of not getting enough nutrient balance in your diet. That’s one reason eating salads is associated with dieting for weight loss: When you eat salad, you tend not to overindulge in other courses. So, eating a standard serving size or two every day will give your body what it needs, with the added bonus of helping to manage your weight.

4. Longer Lifespan

The truth is, eating salad will generally help you live longer, and it’s not even in dispute. Additional benefits of fibre is that it can lower blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol levels. Then there are all the other nutrients found in salad produce: the vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals, for example. By adding brightly colored vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, and sweet potatoes, you’ll consume valuable phytochemicals that will reduce free radicals, which have been shown to lower cancer risk!