The question sounds silly, but it is the most pertinent for a diabetic person. Why? Because of the nutrients it provides besides the most neglected and unsung hero of a diet viz., fibre. What does fibre do? It helps in slowing down digestion thereby preventing the blood sugar from rising rapidly. It is that part of the food which is not digested and finally results in residue after the other ingredients in the food are digested.
The nutrients will depend upon the type of salad you eat. Generally, we prepare salad from vegetables like cucumber, tomato, and carrots. These are vegetables which can be eaten raw and which are full of nutrients like:
| Vegetables | Nutrients |
|---|---|
| Tomato | Vitamin C, potassium, Folate, and Vitamin K |
| Carrot | Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Biotin, Vitamin K1, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Lutein. |
| Cucumber | Vitamin K, Vitamins B and C, minerals like copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. |
In addition, you can also use many other vegetables in raw form to prepare a tasty and nutritious salad like raw Fenugreek(methi) leaves, Ridge Gourd (Turai/Dhodki), Pointed Gourd(Padval), Bottle Gourd (Dudhi Bhopla), Mint leaves (Pudina), Cabbage*, Broccoli (steamed)*. These provide nutrients in addition to fibre.
| Vegetables | Nutrients |
|---|---|
| Fenugreek Leaves (Methi) | Vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin B6, Magnesium |
| Ridge Gourd (Dhodki) | Vitamins A and C, Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats and Water and components like carotenoids, flavonoids. |
| Bottle Gourd (Dudhi Bhopla) | Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Zinc, Thiamine, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese, Fat and Water. |
| Mint Leaves (Pudina) | Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium, sodium and potassium. |
| Cabbage* | Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium, sodium and potassium. |
| Broccoli (steamed)* | Vitamin C (high), Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium, sodium and potassium. |
| Capsicum | Vitamin C (very high), Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium, and potassium. |
*Cabbage and Broccoli are not advised for persons suffering from kidney ailments.
Other than raw vegetables described above, sprouts (Germinated legumes, grains, seeds and nuts are called sprouts) are another important component for salads. These can be cooked and used in salads. Sprouts are anti-oxidants besides they contain nutrients like folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B. Some of the sprouts are:
| Sprouts | Nutrients |
|---|---|
| Kidney Beans | Iron, Manganese, Folate |
| Lentils (Black eyed peas, Chana Dal, Moong Dal, Whole Moong Beans, Toor Dal) | Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 |
| Legumes (Dew Beans or Matki), Green Peas, Peanuts, Soya Beans | Plant Protein, Vitamin B, Vitamin K, Iron, Folate, Calcium, Potassium., Phosphorus, and Zinc |
The important question remains. Why eat salad first and then the other meal components. Because of its fibre content, salad fills up the stomach thereby reducing the requirement of grains and cereals in the meal. A balanced meal plate for a diabetic would be 40% salad, 35% cooked food and 25% grains. With this intake, the digestion of the food will take longer thereby slowing down the generation of blood sugar from the food.
Another important point that is to be remembered is the salad items need to be munched slowly and chewed allowing the enzymes in the mouth to mix with them to enable better digestion. If the salad items are not munched properly, there is a likelihood of bloating in the stomach and creation of gas in the stomach.
Is this order of the food known to be effective? Yes. The agencies treating diabetic patients have proven record to confirm that this order of eating the food is quite effective in diabetic patients.
So, eat more of salad in your lunch and reap the benefits of good health.
Those who are underweight, need to take lesser quantity of salad so that they don't lose further weight. Also they need to gain weight by changing their dietary pattern of white smoothie etc.
