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Croutons add texture and flavor to a salad, but most croutons also add a hefty dose of salty white carbs. But with a little creativity, there are plenty of other ways to add interest and crunch to a salad.  In today’s Love it, Like it, Hate it, Molly shares some of the best and worst ways to top your next salad!

 

 

LOVE IT!

 

Mary’s Gone Crackers (GF) – available at Costco, as well as regular grocery stores

  • Per 4-cracker serving:37 calories – 5 grams carb – <1 gram fiber – 0 protein
  • Ingredients include:Whole grain brown rice, whole grain quinoa, brown flax seeds, brown sesame seeds, sea salt, onion.

 

WildRoots Green Bean Crisps – available at Costco, as well as regular grocery stores

  • Per 6-piece serving: 33 calories – 5 grams carb – <1 gram fiber – 0 protein
  • Ingredients include: Green beans, canola oil, fructose, sea salt

 

Harvest Snaps Baked Green Pea Crisps – GF – available at Costco, as well as regular grocery stores

  • Per 5-piece serving:30 calories – 4 grams carb – <1 gram fiber – 1 gram protein
  • Ingredients include:Green peas, vegetable oil, rice, salt.

 

Other “crouton” options include roasted nuts like pecans & walnuts, crunchy kale chips, or even beet chips.

 

 

LIKE IT!

 

Cheese Crisps – like Fresh Gourmet Asiago Cheese Crisps – available at Walmart

  • Per 1 ½ tablespoon serving: 30 calories – 0 grams carb – 0 fiber – 2 grams protein
  • Ingredient: Asiago cheese

 

Tortilla Strips, original – GF

  • Per 2 tablespoons: 35 calories – 4 grams carb – 4 grams fiber – 0 protein
  • Ingredients include: Whole grain corn masa flour, oil, salt.

 

 

HATE IT!

 

Croutons – pretty much any + all

  • Per 2 tablespoons: 30 calories – 4 grams carb – 0 fiber – 1 gram protein
  • Ingredients include: White flour, some contain a bit of whole wheat flour, salt, spices

 

Tortilla Strips, tri-color

  • Per 2 tablespoons: 35 calories – 4 grams carb – 4 grams fiber – 0 protein
  • Ingredients include: Corn masa flour, oil, salt, red 40, blue 1, blue 2.

 

 

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!  And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD