Cucumber, Tomato & Olive Salad

For many Americans, a salad is iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber and salad dressing. A good size salad made from the first three ingredients has about 200 calories. Four tablespoons of creamy salad dressing can add 400 or more calories. The dressing adds flavor but very few nutrients. While 600 or so calories may not seem like much if the salad is all you have for lunch or dinner there are healthier alternatives.

Cucumber, Tomato & Olive Salad provides the nutrients in tomato, the monounsaturated fat in olives and low calorie cucumber tossed with an olive oil and vinegar dressing. You can use regular or extra virgin olive oil and any variety of olives.

One serving (about 12 oz.) of Cucumber, Tomato & Olive Salad has about 390 calories. Most of the sodium is from the olives. You can reduce the number of olives if desired. The tomatoes potassium cancels out some of the sodium.

Unlike a lettuce salad, one serving of this simple salad provides 8 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber, no cholesterol and 3 grams of saturated fat.

Variations

You can add one or more of the following ingredients to your salad:

• Minced mint, parsley or cilantro.
• Fresh or dried thyme or dill.
• Replace vinaigrette with a reduced calorie ranch, blue cheese or cucumber dressing.

Repeated Recipes

Blue Cheese Dressing

Cucumber Dressing

Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 medium cucumber (about 7 inches)
• 2 (7 oz., 200 g) Roma, slicing, grape or cherry tomatoes
• 20 ( 100 g) large black olives
• 10 (100 g) large green olives, stuff or other variety
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) red wine or balsamic vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste (optional)

Method of Preparation