Can I eat salad with my meal? A guide to timing and balance
                                
                                
                                •
                                
                                
                        
                                    
                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                According to a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating a salad as a first course can reduce overall energy intake for the entire meal by a significant margin. This finding highlights the strategic role a salad can play in your eating habits, but the question of when and how to eat salad with a meal remains. Is eating it as a side the same as a starter? And what about salads with heavy, rich dressings? The answer, as is often the case with nutrition, is nuanced and depends on your specific health goals.