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Even though the base of a salad is usually healthy leafy greens, it can be easy to get carried away with the toppings and create a calorie bomb: too many nuts, fried tortilla strips or croutons for a crunch, and a fattening dressing can all add hundreds of extra calories.
But if you like a crunchy topping and are looking to save some calories [3], Rachel Paul, RD (@collegenutritionist [4]), showed an easy swap with her Instagram post. Instead of croutons, Rachel suggests popcorn — that's right, the beloved salty snack also makes for a satisfying salad topping.
On the photo on the left, she showed what a salad with croutons looks like and added that a serving of croutons is typically 60 calories. Plus, most croutons are just refined grains. A handful of popcorn, on the other hand, is just 15 calories and offers up whole grains and fibre. You still get the satisfying crunch at a fraction of the calories.
"Gettin creative with salads! Sometimes you just need a CRUNCH — switching to popcorn [6] from regular croutons adds whole grains & fibre to your salad!" she wrote in the caption.
Next time you're whipping up a salad, think about all your toppings and how you could save calories — a few simple swaps could help you achieve your weight-loss goals.