A salad question

[UKbob]

...Just found a single entire stinging nettle in my Coop ready made salad. Its got the leaves, stalk, stingers on the leaves and seed pod thingies just like a normal nettle. It didnt sting, praps its just a "cheaper than real lettuce" filler.

Anyhow, Im drinking far less alcohol, eating far less red meat, eating a little more fish and a great deal more chicken in attempts to get into a healthier lifestyle... are these ready made salads good for you? I ask, as Im sure I remember reading a year or more ago that a McDonalds salad was somehow worse for you than one of their burgers.

Admitedly coop salads dont come with deep fried chicken inside them, but in attempts to look after my cholesterol levels and general health, it would be nice to know the instant salads Im buying (tesco, coop) are actually good for one.

[UKbob]

escargot said:

use the simple Olive oil/balsamic vinegar combination, or an oil & mustard based one. Really simple and quite healthy.

Ive got both so I'll do that.

What should one look out for, in grams of fat and all that stuff, on the lid? With regards to keeping cholesterol down and looking after the body by feeding it nutrients which will benefit you long term?

[UKbob]

escargot said:

If you're buying pre-made dressings, it's generally stuff like saturated fats & salt content that you need to watch out for. As well as artificial stuff. Salad dressings can be really bad for you, but it's like everything, be moderate with it.

I don't really hold with diets per se, I just (in the main) eat healthy fresh stuff. I indulge in the odd pizza or McDonalds once in a while but as long as it's in moderation, there isn't an issue.

What are saturated and unsaturated fats, compared? I assume one is bad for you, the unsaturated fats?

I know next to nothing about nutrition, other than additives, as Im alergic to non-natural ingredients, so dont tend to eat that many sweets/junkfood, excluding pizzas which are usually 100% natural.