Don't count salad

lyndausvi

I count everything. Some of my salads are up to 400 calories.

If you are going to count nuts and dressing I don't find counting lettuce and tomatoes to be that much of a hassle.

That said, do what works for you.

phatguerilla

I have found it hard to bring myself around to logging things like greens but I think I need to start getting stricter in this regard. However people who are saying they make 500 calorie salads are surely including more than just lettuce and tomato and I don't think the op was suggesting that dressing or cheese become 'free' once they are in contact with lettuce.

kathymhardy

I have found it hard to bring myself around to logging things like greens but I think I need to start getting stricter in this regard. However people who are saying they make 500 calorie salads are surely including more than just lettuce and tomato and I don't think the op was suggesting that dressing or cheese become 'free' once they are in contact with lettuce.

Thank you - finally someone sees what I was trying to convey

pluckabee

when I have a salad I just log some amount of lettuce and dont bother weighing and counting things like leaves, celery and cucumber. It just has so little calories that an estimation is fine. Of course I log the cheese, nuts and dressing though, no one was suggesting not doing that.

I do look everything up before I choose not to log it though, some things can be surprising so it's always worth checking first.

kelseyjane1105

Am I the only one who counts my salads less for the calories and more for the visual pat on the back of "yay I managed to eat a salad"????

Dang. Nerd alert.

yaseyuku

I don't think the op was suggesting that dressing or cheese become 'free' once they are in contact with lettuce.

I wish that all foods became 'free' when in contact with lettuce.

The_Enginerd

I track everything, but I am tracking micro nutrients as well. Plus calories from carrots, tomatoes, peppers, etc. can add up.

I also sometimes add some pretty caloric ingredients to my salads.

HardcoreP0rk

Ya know, that might be a pleasant strategy. I don't log often, but I would probably log more if I didnt have to spend 10 mins building an effing salad in MFP. I guess I could just quick add the veggies and log only nuts and oils that go into the salad.

cwolfman13

I have a salad once or twice per week...clocks in usually around 600 calories...so yeah...I log that.

ninjakitty419

I guess weigh/cups but still track the salad, and tend to overestimate. If I dont track everything, I start rationalising not tracking more and more things.

This.
I dont measure out 1 cup lettuce, 2 tbsp dressing or 1/4 cup shredded cheese but I estimate. I at least want everything accounted for. For the same reason the other poster I quoted mentioned, I also track zero cal beverages like tea because if I start skipping even small things I will start skipping bigger things.

ninjakitty419

Am I the only one who counts my salads less for the calories and more for the visual pat on the back of "yay I managed to eat a salad"????

Love this!!!! And yes that is part of it too

JanetP124

If I buy a salad from the Deli or Wendy's or something I log that. If it is just a bunch of random vegetables I cut up at home, I usually just throw 60 or 70 calories into my tracking and call it a day.

Fruit I usually log because it is higher in calories and natural sugars.

rudduckemily

If it has even 1 calorie, I count it.

msarro

I try to count them, but my usual salads are a mix of greens from the garden (chard leaves, kale, spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, beet greens, etc). It's a bit hard to count all of them because they don't all have nutes readily available, especially not for 1 or 2 leaves. Mixed greens is usually a decent way to go.

Lettuce on its own doesn't really have much in the way of nutritional value (at least not iceberg) however others do have nutritionals you should include (especially iron which for men is important to track).

TheFitHooker

I count EVERYTHING. I don't eat ice burg lettuce, I eat Romaine and in just 3 leaves is 10 calories, it counts.

in_this_generation

I count them because I am proud when I hit my fiber goal, but the calorie count is always quite small I've noticed too (under 100 cal). Now salad dressing and toppings can make a big dent pretty quickly, but ruffage not so much.

JussyD89

Being a vegan, I have to count a salad. Vegetables and fruits make up a majority of my diet!. I have to be finicky in a sense.

knityoupants

I log it. A good sized salad, even without naughty ingredients, is easily 40 or more calories. I want to know though (although, I put cilantro and/or lemon juice on everything, and those 1-calorie items are getting annoying to log!

But frankly, I check everything I eat in the database. I don't log it if it seems to have absolutely no relevant nutritional value, like ceylon tea and some supplements. But even 1 calorie goes in the diary.

Isn't Weightwatchers more like your method?

magerum

Everything has caloric value.

patrickblo13

Salad is a great source of clean carbs...of course I count it. It helps me hit my carb macro

MozzarellaSheep

I always track everything, down to individual bites if I am able.

missymakayla

No, I count salad, cukes, tomatoes, all of that, it all has calories in it. Why don't you count them. My sister-in-law is on WW and they don't count lettuce as points, but they do count the rest...

bumblebums

No, I count salad, cukes, tomatoes, all of that, it all has calories in it. Why don't you count them. My sister-in-law is on WW and they don't count lettuce as points, but they do count the rest...

I think Weight Watchers uses the "salad is free" thing as a way to motivate people to eat their vegetables. When you count your calories and are on a restricted intake, there is a temptation to avoid foods, and salad is not something most people should avoid. But it's not exactly a freebie, especially because vegetables differ in their energy values and because most people do not eat salad w/o dressing.

born2drum

No, I count salad, cukes, tomatoes, all of that, it all has calories in it. Why don't you count them. My sister-in-law is on WW and they don't count lettuce as points, but they do count the rest...

I think Weight Watchers uses the "salad is free" thing as a way to motivate people to eat their vegetables. When you count your calories and are on a restricted intake, there is a temptation to avoid foods, and salad is not something most people should avoid. But it's not exactly a freebie, especially because vegetables differ in their energy values and because most people do not eat salad w/o dressing.

This is why weight watchers sucks. I have these All Whites that say 0 weight watcher points have a serving is 25 cals. So, if I were a total noob and saww oooooo 0 points then I would eat a lot not knowing that calories add up.

I say this because I have a coworker who is on Weight Watchers and we both started around the same time and she is literally still the same yet swears she works out 4 times a week. She does spinning mind you.

Anyways, enough ranting

jennrox78

i count everything.. if i dont, i tend to get too loose and free..
if you look @ my diary, you will see i even have logged 1 jellybean on 2 different days..

CherylP67

I log everything. My salad may only have 50 calories but in a week that is 350 calories, in a month 1400 calories, in a year 18,200 which is 5.2 lbs worth of calories.

bumblebums

No, I count salad, cukes, tomatoes, all of that, it all has calories in it. Why don't you count them. My sister-in-law is on WW and they don't count lettuce as points, but they do count the rest...

I think Weight Watchers uses the "salad is free" thing as a way to motivate people to eat their vegetables. When you count your calories and are on a restricted intake, there is a temptation to avoid foods, and salad is not something most people should avoid. But it's not exactly a freebie, especially because vegetables differ in their energy values and because most people do not eat salad w/o dressing.

This is why weight watchers sucks. I have these All Whites that say 0 weight watcher points have a serving is 25 cals. So, if I were a total noob and saww oooooo 0 points then I would eat a lot not knowing that calories add up.

I say this because I have a coworker who is on Weight Watchers and we both started around the same time and she is literally still the same yet swears she works out 4 times a week. She does spinning mind you.

Anyways, enough ranting

This sort of thing reminds me of that Sopranos episode where they are in a van in the Pine Barrens and all they have to eat are ketchup packets and hot sauce. Those things have calories, too, in a pinch!

icimani

I give myself about 50 cals for the basic green stuff like lettuce, carrots, cukes and tomatoes ( Iknow, they're not green!), but then count everything else.

kimmymayhall

I count it all. Even when I'm not making a 500 calorie salad, those vegetables have calories. They also have vitamins and fiber that I want to keep track of.

marsellient

I entered a recipe using the ingredients for the basic green salad I make (mixed greens, onion, peppers, cucumber and tomatoes) and log that (about 50 calories for 2 cups) and then separately log anything I use to dress it up, like avocado and dressing. No more entering everything separately.