Next time you leave your desk in search of a healthy lunch ask yourself this: 'Is my salad dressed to kill?'

We asked dietitian Kate Di Prima to tell us why modern-day salads can be secret fat fiends by analysing the favourite lunchtime salads of three New Idea staff members.

Donna Ogier, 32 Lifestyle Editor: 'I'm a carboholic!'

On her plate: Potato salad, pasta and tuna salad, a few 'handfuls' of cheese and two broccoli florets.

Kate's verdict: 'Donna should have the pasta or potato salad, not both. She needs to fill half her plate with steamed vegies or greens, one quarter with protein such as fish or meat and the other with carbs,' Kate says.

'As two broccoli florets are just one serve of her daily five vegetable serves, Donna should aim for at least two different-coloured vegies at lunch. And the cheese? Just a quarter of a cup of grated cheddar has about 10g of fat. That's almost a quarter of your total daily fat intake,' Kate says.

Erin Kisby, 27, Writer: 'I love mayo!'

On her plate: Erin loves chicken caesar salad with crunchy bacon bits, anchovies, croutons, extra mayo and iceberg lettuce.

Kate's verdict: 'Caesar salads can be dripping in mayo. Order the dressing on the side, a balsamic vinaigrette or lemon juice dressing,' Kate says.

'Iceberg lettuce might appear to be healthy, but it has virtually no nutritional content - darker greens are much better. And steer clear of croutons. If you want crunch, try a crushed Vita-Weat.'

Erin should ditch the salty bacon too. Nine out of 10 adults over 50 are likely to develop high blood pressure and salt is a known culprit.

Paul Maddox, 34: Art Director

'I love protein!'

On his plate: A huge tuna steak, hard-boiled egg, beans, olives, tomatoes, greens with no dressing plus a side order of ham.

Kate's verdict: 'Paul's plate is almost ideal, but too much protein will add kilojoules - a serve should be the size of your palm or a deck of cards,' Kate says.

'While most lean red meat is healthy, processed meats have been linked to cancer, so it's good to limit these. If the salad's too big, downsize it or split it with a friend.'

Salad Saboteurs

Here are the top four things that ruin a healthy salad

1. Processed dressings - many commercial salad dressings contain unhealthy trans fats, not to mention the sugar, preservatives, salt and artificial flavours.

'You're better off making your own dressing with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil or balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil,' Kate says. 'Keep it in the fridge at work, so it's always handy.'

2. Bacon - contains sodium nitrate, a type of salt, and bad fats. Try adding chopped celery, radishes, cranberries, grapes, crunchy snow peas and fresh coriander or basil instead,
to pep up a boring salad.

3. Cheese - if you must have it, use sparingly and choose lower-fat or natural cheeses such as low-fat feta or goats cheese instead of high-fat processed cheeses such as cheddar.

4. Croutons - replace these empty carbs with three or four crushed almonds. Nuts may be high in kilojoules but they have plenty of good fats. Alternatively, bake your own croutons using spray oil. For dietetic advice, visit www.daa.asn.au/

Check out New Idea's great salad recipes