A Filling Salad & Facts about LIGHT Mayonnaise

I'm going to be brutally honest with you guys - I'm not a salad lover; I don't hate salad's I just find it hard to find salad's enjoyable!

So my challenge for this diet has really been focusing around salad's - I'm talking about salad's as the actual meal, not as a garnish.

Yesterday I needed a salad that was filling, healthy and I had a few calories to play about with as I didn't have breakfast that morning (side note - please have breakfast, it helps several things. I was just a naughty girl and had a lay in till 9am and by the time I woke up, because I can't eat right away, I just chose to wait till lunch) I opted for a big salad.

35g Salad Leaves

200g Farm White Potato(s)
25 sprays of 1 Kcal Spray
100g Mushrooms
2 Quorn Sausages
15g Hellmans Mayonnaise 

(NOT THE LIGHT MAYO!)

Paprika 1/2 tsp

Salt 1/2 tsp

Total Calories - 554 Kcal

Method

It's pretty simple but here is what I did with all the ingredients.

1. Pre-heat your oven to 190°c/180°c for a fan oven.

2. I chopped up my potato, you can do yours as thick or as thin as you wish. I preferred a thinner chip just for the satisfaction of having that lovely crunch. 

3. I then par-boiled the potato's for 10 minutes - you don't want them mushy, just cooked enough to then go in the oven.

4. In a bowl put the par-boiled chips, then add the paprika and salt and 15 sprays of the 1kcal Spray. Toss and coat evenly and then put on a baking tray and into the oven for 15 minutes.

5. After the first 15 minutes, take out the chips, and bump up your oven to 220°c/210°c for a fan oven then put your chips and Quorn Sausages in for another 15 minutes (depending on how thick your chips are some may take 10 minutes to crisp up, some may take 20 minutes - just keep checking them to get them how you like them!)

6. While the sausages and chips are cooking - chop up your mushrooms, get a frying pan and use 10 sprays for the mushrooms. Cook to your liking!

7. Once the mushrooms were done, I added them into the bowl with the salad leaves. Once cooked, I then added the chips, chopped up the Quorn Sausages and added 15g of Mayonnaise. (Below I'll explain why I don't use the Light-Mayonnaise). Mixed them all together and et voila! 

Why don't you use light mayonnaise?
- I've found out from several sources, as well as looking at the back of packaging of mayonnaise products that REAL Mayonnaise is better then light. Light mayonnaise has added extra's in it - yes it 'may have less fat' but that doesn't mean its a healthier option. For example

On the Hellmans website below are the ingredients for Real Mayonnaise vs Light Mayonnaise

REAL MAYONNAISE INGREIDENTS 
SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT, SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS. GLUTEN-FREE.

LIGHT MAYONNAISE 
WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED STARCH (CORN, POTATO)**, EGGS, SUGAR, SALT, VINEGAR, LEMON JUICE, SORBIC ACID** AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (USED TO PROTECT QUALITY), NATURAL FLAVORS, VITAMIN E. **INGREDIENTS NOT FOUND IN REGULAR MAYONNAISE. GLUTEN-FREE.

There are added extra's in the light mayonnaise, which just don't me feel comfortable - for example Sorbic Acid?! If you aren't a scientist or nurtionist maybe, much like me - I have no idea what sorbic acid is, let alone what it does, or anything about it. Any time, like any other person, if I see 'acid' unless its something like citric acid (eg lemons, limes etc.) it does make me worry a bit.

Me personally? I'd rather just have the extra intake of a few extra calories then put something into my body that I don't even know what it is. Sometimes it's about choosing the healthy option, and taking that time to look into the product and what you'd be consuming; not just opting for something that looks good or healthy.