by Nicky Cosino, Guest Blogger

“I only like salad with dressing and by that time there’s so many calories what’s the point?”

“Iceberg is the only lettuce I like and since it isn’t that nutritious, I might as well not even eat it.”  My reply is normally a dumb stare as I sit across the table from my friend while we eat fried pickles (dipped in Ranch) and enjoy our martinis. 

Sadly, this is my reply because I just can’t process that everything has somehow devolved into “eating well,” “eating clean,” or “cheat meals.” Apparently that Ranch is fine as long as it is being used as a dip for fried food and not tarnishing an otherwise healthy salad. 

Current recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption are 3.5 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day according to 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Easily that recommendation may include a cup or two of iceberg lettuce, which is NOT the nutritional void it has been made out to be.

Speaking of dressing, assuming a mass-produced creamy dressing is being used, it would have about 16-17 grams of fat and 150-160 calories per serving. Admittedly that does sound hard to defend and there are better choices , but remember a serving size is 2 tablespoons. Two tablespoons are a surprising amount and covers quite a bit of salad; a small side salad would probably only take one tablespoon. Also keep in mind the Ranch was fine for dipping fried food in. 

Here’s what a normal side salad looks like at restaurants in my area (it may be different by you): 1 cup shredded/chopped lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber slices, and dressing – I used Ranch for this example.

Pretend salad comes in at about 80 calories (including dressing) and a limited look at the nutritional breakdown of the vegetables includes: calcium, potassium, folate, and some fiber. Many other nutrients are not listed, and this comes from a very small salad with the “least nutritious” lettuce around. Additional items would increase or decrease the nutritional value (bacon bits, cheese, bell peppers, radishes, etc.) I used Cronometer for my numbers. A basic account is free and will let you create your own recipes. Many such sites exist – they may have different values for the same foods. Please remember that calories and nutrients are estimated and what you actually consume may be slightly different than the estimation. 

Food contains many micronutrients – the vitamins and minerals we need to survive. I chose to focus on fiber, potassium, and calcium because most Americans fall short in these categories.  The folate (naturally occurring) is listed because it and its counterpart (folic acid from fortified foods) should be consumed daily by every woman in childbearing years because folate prevents spinal cord birth defects.

When we eat food, we are not only eating fat, carbohydrates, and protein; we are eating vitamins, fiber and minerals. Do calories and fat matter? Yes, of course. Most Americans fall drastically short on vegetable consumption though; if a high fat, high calorie dressing makes over a cup of vegetables enjoyable for you, please indulge!

Nicky Cosino has a Bachelor of Science with a focus on human nutrition and will obtain her Master of Science in human nutrition in December 2025. Currently she is teaching cooking classes at Farmhouse Academy in Mokena, IL, while attending University of Alabama online to finish her degree. She has a son and three fur babies, aspires to write, and is desperately trying to productively garden. She can be reached at nicky@cosino.net.