Most (if not all) restaurants include fruit and vegetable salads on their menu. In Fort Lauderdale alone, you may notice that food establishments have entire sections dedicated to this type of dish. Some would even feature custom salads and make-your-owns although a lot of people would arguably prefer savory meat and seafood to veggies anytime. But health experts still recommend that people eat salads regularly. And food establishments make it a point to make their salads not only filled with health benefits but also appetizing.
Why is that?
Well, that’s because they know just how beneficial salads are! Take a look at these 4 reasons why you should eat salads:
1. Salads are a great source of fiber. This is especially true if the type you’re getting is filled with leafy greens like raw spinach, lettuce, kale, or watercress. These vegetables are rich in fiber, which in turn helps in lowering cholesterol and preventing constipation. This happens as fiber takes up space in our digestive system and helps clean our colons properly.
2. You get a lot of nutrition from fruits and vegetables. This means that the fresh vegetables and fruits in salads contain all sorts of vitamins and minerals that contribute to health in different ways.
For example, lemons contain vitamin C which helps in fighting off viruses like the flu. Also, fruits and vegetables with the color yellow, red, and orange (strawberries, beets, cherry tomatoes, carrots, red bell peppers, etc.) are rich in compounds like vitamin A, lycopene, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene. There are also the leafy greens which are — as mentioned — high in fiber, and in which many have high levels of iron. With that said, different colors usually offer different benefits, and that’s why restaurants make salads that are as colorful as possible. As you can see, it’s not only to make the raw vegetables look appetizing; the more color combinations there are in a bowl, the more diverse its offered nutrients are as well.
3. Salads help with weight loss, bone strength, and muscle development. Studies say that starting out your meal with a low-carbohydrate diet of salad helps you feel full right off the bat, This reduces your intake of higher-calorie foods which will, later on, help you lose weight. That is, as long as you keep the number of salad dressings to a minimum.
This is mainly thanks to fiber (again).
Some famous salad ingredients also help in increasing bone density. Some examples are watercress, radicchio, and spinach as they contain small yet ample amounts of vitamin K (not to be confused with Potassium), mainly known for its coagulation properties.
Leafy greens, such as spinach leaves, kale, cabbage, etc. also contribute to this benefit as they help in making the mitochondria — the powerhouse and energy supplier of every cell in the body — function more efficiently. They contain nitrates which are later on converted to nitric oxide, a chemical that’s proven to enhance blood and oxygen flow through the body, therefore lowering blood pressure, and promoting brain and muscle functions.
So, if you’re looking for ways to help you with weight loss, bone strength, and muscle development, look for the best place in Fort Lauderdale that serves salads!
4. Salads reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, and cancer. This is perhaps already self-explanatory if you consider all other points already mentioned above. Those points show that salads help greatly in keeping you away from illnesses that result from unhealthy lifestyles. And yes, this is true even if you do smoke, drink, or immerse yourself in Fort Lauderdale’s active nightlife. The fact that you’re regularly balancing those out with a healthy diet is already enough to minimize the risk of you getting sick.
With that said, if you consider yourself a picky eater who wouldn’t normally order salads (or if you’re the type to add too much dressing on your greens), it’s probably high time for you to have a change of heart. And once you do, make sure to drop by Tower Deli, an award-winning restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, to order a surely delicious bowl of healthiness! You’ll find us at 2315 South University Dr. Davie, Florida, and we’re open 365 days a year from 6:30 AM to 3 PM on weekdays and until 4 PM on weekends. We also provide delivery and catering in Fort Lauderdale and the rest of South Florida; simply give us a call or order online through our app.
We even provide the option for you to create your own salad using our wide range of available ingredients, so whether you’re looking for fresh fruits or vegetables, rest assured that our menu would have what you need to stay healthy.
