Grilled chicken salad (1 piece)

Choose a dressing without added sugar, honey, sweet chili, or sugary vinaigrettes; use olive oil, vinegar, lemon, herbs, or plain yogurt-based dressing instead.

Keep grilled chicken unbreaded and avoid sweet marinades or barbecue-style sauces; season with lemon, garlic, pepper, and herbs.

Build the salad around non-starchy vegetables such as leafy greens, cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, and avocado.

Skip or sharply limit high-sugar salad add-ons such as croutons, candied nuts, dried fruit, tortilla strips, and sweetened dressings.

If you want a carbohydrate addition, use a small portion of lentils, chickpeas, or quinoa rather than white bread, croutons, or a large wrap.

Eat slowly and consider a 10–20 minute easy walk after the meal to help moderate the post-meal rise.