Good Perspective

Ask Dr. Weiss

Expert Advice on Your Nagging Nutrition and Exercise Questions

Submission One

Salad Spinners,

Hi. I was told to email you about nutrition information. I just ate lunch at one of your locations, and they told me the nutrition information was posted online. I decided to have the Applenut salad with fat-free balsamic vinaigrette and a small cup (the same price as the temperature outside) of Butternut Squash soup. I am doing Weight Watchers and figured your restaurant was a healthy choice, and that a salad and soup were great options. I got back to work to check out the nutrition information and it says the Applenut salad has 44 g. of fat, without dressing it has 20 g. of fat. How is this possible? A salad, even one with some nuts and blue cheese, should still have very little fat. Fat-free dressing should have no fat. I am very worried right now. All of your salads have incredibly high amounts of fat. I thought your restaurant dubbed itself as a healthy lunch option. I would have been better off eating at McDonalds!!! What is going on?

Lara

Dear Lara,

This is an excellent question! I agree with you that 40 grams of fat is not an acceptable amount of fat to eat for lunch when trying to lose weight. I also commend you for researching your lunch to ensure you are making a healthy choice.

The Applenut Salad you are referring to is the vegetarian version of the salad. This salad contains healthy field greens, apples, and hearts of palm. It also contains blue cheese, almonds, and walnuts. Although nuts may seem small and innocent, they actually add an additional 175 calories and 15.4 grams of fat. Almonds and walnuts are a good source of nutrients and essential fatty acids, however when trying to lose weight extra nuts can pack on a lot of extra calories. It is a better idea to choose a protein such as chicken to add to your salad. In fact, you can create an extremely healthy version of this salad by excluding the blue cheese, almonds, and walnuts and adding grilled chicken with the fat-free vinaigrette. Now, the Applenut Salad only 232 calories and 4 grams of fat!

All calories are not equal, and a salad loaded with veggies and lean protein with few carbohydrates will leave you feeling satisfied longer and your body’s’ cells nourished. In addition, our salad ingredients are fresh and not packaged (as opposed to other salads from the popular food chain mentioned above), which allows them to retain more vitamins and minerals than salads with a longer shelf life. Calories for calorie, by eating a fresh salad you get more nutritional bang for you buck.

So remember, while nuts and cheese can be part of a healthy diet, when trying to lose weight these high-calorie foods should only be eaten sparingly. Choose a protein instead and add a low-fat dressing and any salad will instantly be transformed into a meal that you and weight-watchers will be happy with.

Thanks for your question, Lara.

Dr. Weiss

Submission Two

Dear Salad Spinners,

Could you please send me nutritional information for the Ahi Seared Tuna Salad on your menu, without dressing (but WITH the seared Tuna)? Also, how many ounces are in the little plastic cups you use for dressing on the side?

Thanks!!!

Kristin

Dear Kristen,

All our nutritional information is listed on the website. Specifically, our Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with the tuna but without dressing has only 253 calories, 7 grams of fat (with no trans fats and only 1 gram of saturated fat). This is a very low-calorie lunch choice. The salad comes with 1.5 oz. of Japanese wasabi dressing on the side. This provides an additional 71 calories and 4 grams of fat.

Dr. Weiss

Submission Three

Salad Spinners -

I have a gluten intolerance (Celiac Disease). I'm allergic to wheat, barley, oats and rye. Basically I eat salad every day. I have to be careful of the salad dressings (i.e. no soy sauce, it's made from wheat). I've heard from many people that your mexicali salad is very good. Can you tell me what the ingredients for the salad dressings are? I think it's the spicy peanut w/ honey lime vinaigrette. And if there are any other gluten-free dressings you recommend.

Many thanks,

Sarah

Dear Sarah,

At Salad Spinners we have created a gluten-free salad menu for people with Celiac Disease or anyone choosing to eliminate gluten and wheat from their diet. With simple modifications, you can create a gluten-free version of almost all of our salads. As far as our dressings, all the dressings without wheat and soy (which may contain gluten) are listed on our allergy information sheet.

Specifically, our Mexicali salad does contain some ingredients with gluten, but can be easily modified to create a lunch that is delicious and gluten-free. Just opt for no tortilla strips (it contains both corn and flour) and ask for no Spicy Peanut Sauce (as this contains soy sauce). The salad still comes with a Honey-Lime Vinaigrette that is 100% gluten-free. Enjoy!

Dr. Weiss