With the return of sunny days, mixed salads are becoming the essential stars of our tables. To add a touch of freshness and originality, there is a great temptation to include seasonal fruits.
However, a question often comes up: doesn’t this sweet-salty mixture risk unbalancing our diet or causing spikes in blood sugar levels? Between indulgence, satiety management and nutritional intake, discover the valuable advice of an expert for putting together the perfect summer dish.
Complex carbohydrates: the secret to avoiding cravings an hour later
When we prepare a light salad, we sometimes tend to skip the starches. This is a common mistake which is generally paid for by a lack of appetite or extreme hunger shortly after the end of the meal.
Pauline Pied reminds us of the importance of not demonizing slow sugars, quite the contrary. “The carbohydrates that you have in rice, pasta, bread or semolina are not the same ones that you find in fruits and vegetables. You need those complex carbohydrates that will accompany these types of salads, otherwise you are going to be hungry an hour after your meal.”
If your salad does not directly contain a base of rice or pasta, it is essential to compensate intelligently to provide lasting energy to your body. “You should not avoid adding extra carbohydrates, you should think about adding them on the contrary.“, insists the dietitian.
To do this, a simple gesture is enough. “We can automatically add bread on the side, making small toasts or small bruschetta.”
Spruce up your salads with fruit: an excellent idea to vary the pleasures
Contrary to popular belief, including fruit in a main course has no nutritional contraindications. It’s even a tip validated by professionals to brighten up routine meals.
“If it helps to ‘pimp’ your salads a little, I think it’s pretty cool. This allows you to bring a little color to the plate, to vary tastes and textures.”enthuses Pauline Pied.
This approach allows us to re-enchant our plates while enjoying the natural benefits of seasonal products. The dietician encourages us to dare to make bold associations. “It also allows you to taste new combinations, because there are often people who are surprised, particularly by the melon and goat cheese mixture.”. There is therefore no hesitation to have in consuming this type of mixture every day of the summer if you appreciate the combination of flavors.
A plate that’s too sweet? No health risk
The fear of consuming a meal too rich in sugar when fruit is added is unjustified. Fresh fruits provide fructose, but this is naturally encapsulated in a healthy matrix. The expert wants to be completely reassuring on this point.
“Is it too sweet as a meal? No, it’s not too sweet, it’s a fruit, there’s no problem.”
In addition, increasing the vegetable portion of your plate does not present the danger of nutritional overdose, because fruits and vegetables work in synergy.
“You can definitely add more fruit to your meals, this is not a problem because fruits are also an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.“, specifies the dietitian.
The fibers contained in the plate also play a key role in slowing down the assimilation of sugars, thus guaranteeing stable energy without an insulin peak.
The golden rule of dessert: a little gymnastics depending on the portions
While using fruit in cooking is an excellent habit, it simply requires a slight adaptation when finishing the meal. It’s all a question of dosage and common sense regarding the 100 to 150 grams of fruit generally recommended per serving.
“If you put your whole nectarine in your salad, there is no need to also eat a nectarine (or another fruit) for dessert. advises Pauline Pied. Dessert is therefore not systematically prohibited and depends on the exact quantity included in your main course.
You get it: incorporating fruit into your summer salads is a wonderful way to vary the pleasures, add color to your plates and stock up on vitamins without any risk for your figure or your health. Enough to enjoy creative and balanced blends all summer long with complete peace of mind.