Tracking salads

lll109

When you track a salad do you track each and every ingredient or do you pick something you're think is close? Worried I am overestimating and taking away calories I can use for fun. Had a big 5 cups salad but tossed any veggies that needed to be eaten up. Only real add ones were some artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and touch of fried onions. What would you think reasonable for calories?

jakkrk

I estimate for my salads as its usually not that much. 5 cup salad would be huge to me . Dressing you should be able to track pretty well.

howekaren

I typically track each vegetable I put in by weight. Pretty easy to do if you use a set of scales and zero the weight before each addition. If it's a salad I typically make, as in my spinach salad favourite, I add it to my meals so I can easily add it each time.

arditarose

I weigh everything down to my leafy greens.

DaisyHamilton

I track each item individually. For MFPs salad listings, you don't know what was in it. Maybe it was just lettuce, or maybe the listing included chicken breast, tomatoes, avocado, croutons, etc. It's better to track everything yourself.

Ready2Rock206

Track each ingredient. I just put my bowl on the scale. Tare the scale. Add the lettuce or whatever. Log it. Tare the scale. Toss the next ingredient in the bowl. Log it. Tare the scale. Add the next ingredient... etc. until I'm done. Just takes a minute or so. Easy peasy and I have an accurate log.

itsbasschick

i weigh and add each ingredient separately. it sometimes makes for a looong list of stuff

sarahlifts

I weigh everything that has calories.

endlessfall16

I do not bother with leafy greens at all. I only roughly estimate the cheese, the nuts, the amount of dressings, sour cream.

Gotta count the chicken or turkey, ham slices if I want them.

If you fry stuff, estimate the oil that might soak in. Go by 1 or 2 tsp. I don't think it's possible for a whole onion to soak up more than 1 tspn of oil!!!

Been doing this for weeks. Weight is dropping off just fine.

arditarose

endlessfall16 wrote: »

I do not bother with leafy greens at all. I only roughly estimate the cheese, the nuts, the amount of dressings, sour cream.

Gotta count the chicken or turkey, ham slices if I want them.

If you fry stuff, estimate the oil that might soak in. Go by 1 or 2 tsp. I don't think it's possible for a whole onion to soak up more than 1 tspn of oil!!!

Been doing this for weeks. Weight is dropping off just fine.

If you cook with a tablespoon of oil, you log a tablespoon of oil. Whatever you cook in it soaks it up, yes. I was not quite as accurate when I first started either, but I had more to lose then.

treegirl97

I weight every ingredient that I put in my salad. Even lettuce has a few calories, even if it is only a small amount.

kgirlhart

If I buy a bagged salad I go buy the label and then anything I add too it I weigh and log. The salad I usually get is 15 calories for 85g. But that is still 15 calories so I count it.

arditarose

kgirlhart wrote: »

If I buy a bagged salad I go buy the label and then anything I add too it I weigh and log. The salad I usually get is 15 calories for 85g. But that is still 15 calories so I count it.

Yeah, some of these bags are 30 for 85g and I can eat two bags per day. So I am definitely weighing and logging 120 calories worth of lettuce.

I eat a lot of lettuce. I know it's weird.

RachelElser

I make my own- when I by the bagged mixes they always seem to get slimy very quickly- and I set the bowl on a scale and toss how many ounces of each that I want.

lauraesh0384

I weigh and log each individual ingredient. Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, chicken and dressing. It's the best way to ensure you're not going under or over your calories.

Rage_Phish

every ingredient

kgirlhart

rachelelser wrote: »

I make my own- when I by the bagged mixes they always seem to get slimy very quickly- and I set the bowl on a scale and toss how many ounces of each that I want.

The bags can get slimy quickly, but they don't usually last me more than 2 meals. Most often just one.

KristenNagle1

I usually put in 100 calories to account for the vegetables - especially if it's a bunch of stuff like peppers, onion, lettuce, tomato, carrots etc. Then Ill roughly estimate the cheese (if I have any) and add for 2 T of dressing. If there is meat I would add that separate too.

Afura

If I'm making my salad at home, everything gets weighed (ok maybe not the olives), carrot shreds, lettuce, tomato, sunflower seeds, etc. If I'm out and about I try and guesstimate it as best as I can.

perkymommy

jakkrk wrote: »

I estimate for my salads as its usually not that much. 5 cup salad would be huge to me . Dressing you should be able to track pretty well.

It's easiest to weigh them in this instance. Salads were always tough for me as well because I always used to wonder if I was overestimating the items I put in it.

snowflake930

I eat the same salad all the time, so I entered it in a recipe.
I never buy salad. $7.00 at Culvers...................for what, mostly lettuce. At that price you could make a lot of salads.

Francl27

Put bowl on scale. Turn it on. Add lettuce. Write number down. Tare it. Add tomatoes. Write number down. Tare it.

You get the drift.

Some of my salads come up to 400-500 calories so yeah... no estimating here when it takes two seconds to hit a button and write down a number as I add stuff.

Seffell

I weigh everything. If you use a scale rather than cups you won't overestimate anything.

lll109

Thanks for putting me to the test. No scale but I measured a very similar salad today, just the veggies since I always to protein and dressing separately. I was only 30 calories shy! Would rather track a number then not at all and sometimes you just have to guess but now I know and have a set lunch.

Cynsonya

I weigh and track each ingredient. I just set my bowl on the scale and tare it after each vegetable/other ingredient until I'm done adding. I keep a notepad by my scale to jot down the numbers. Then add them to my diary while I eat which forces me to eat more slowly. Something I struggle with anyway.

amy_kee

Ready2Rock206 wrote: »

Track each ingredient. I just put my bowl on the scale. Tare the scale. Add the lettuce or whatever. Log it. Tare the scale. Toss the next ingredient in the bowl. Log it. Tare the scale. Add the next ingredient... etc. until I'm done. Just takes a minute or so. Easy peasy and I have an accurate log.

@Ready2Rock206 ---that's an excellent way to weigh each ingredient. Thanks! I've been weighing each ingredient on a separate saucer, then, emptying that saucer into my salad bowl. Your great way of weighing each ingredient will save me so much time, will save effort, and I"ll have to wash less things.

zyxst

I weigh everything.

mumbles2013

I list everything on my plate individually and weigh them so I know exactly what I've had

gettingreallyfedupnow

snowflake930 wrote: »

I never buy salad. $7.00 at Culvers...................for what, mostly lettuce. At that price you could make a lot of salads.

Honestly, is salad really that expensive in the US?!!! I'm really shocked - it's normally about £1 a bag here in the UK.

rsleighty

I log each item because I am not only watching calories but nutrients as well.

callsitlikeiseeit

every item to the gram