It's the diet overall, in combination with how much you move, that helps you keep weight off. Salads can be a helpful tool in dieting because they are nutritious and you can keep them light on calories. Do not, however, fall into the trap of thinking that because something is called a salad, or because much of the food is raw, that it is low in calories. A Caesar salad can be more calorific than a burger, and it's mostly lettuce!