Salads yes or no!

Kinda like coffee I feel like people say salads are great and some people say no. My favorite salad is the chicken Caesar but apparently it's horrible to eat due to the dressing. So is there a salad that is a better option? Not a picky eater I usually do a sandwich for lunch but am trying to cut the bread out.
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Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I love salads, just about any kind of salad...caesar, greek, bleu cheese, kale, asian...it's all delicious...
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,419 Member
    edited September 2016
    Nothing wrong with a chicken caesar every once in while. The dressings that come in a jar are sketchy with all the vegetable oils they use, but if you can make your own dressing (using olive oil) or find a restaurant that makes it at the table then you're golden. I mean, all jarred dressings are subject to my suspicion anyway. At restaurants I ask for dressing on the side.

    I still use the bottled dressings every now and then, I use Girards light Caesar dressing, it's 80 calories per 2TBSP. Not bad...except the vegetable oils. I figure once or twice a month will kill me slower. :lol: Mostly I make my own dressings at home.

    The other thing is I don't open up my food choices to conversations about good/bad with anyone. No one can agree on that stuff.
  • folgers86
    folgers86 Posts: 84 Member
    I personally don't eat them much because the dressings about kill my nutrient goals. And plain salad just isn't very delicious IMHO. However, vinaigrettes are usually what you look for as a dressing (watch out for sugar bombs like a strawberry vinaigrette), balsamic vinegar if you can do that, and make sure there's protein involved.
  • Meganlynn79
    Meganlynn79 Posts: 5 Member
    Get dressing (like those creamy kind on the side) and only use as little as you can. That is really where all the calories are. I don't like creamy dressings myself so this is less of a problem for me. I LOOOOVE the Ken's Light Italian, personally.
  • Skyblueyellow
    Skyblueyellow Posts: 225 Member
    I love salad and will gladly eat it with no dressing or just red wine vinegar. I actually like the way each ingredient tastes naturally! I especially love Greek salads with just some red wine vinegar. Sometimes I'll toss in a little olive oil if I need extra calories.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    Cobb salad is my favorite! I just make sure to plan my day around it.
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
    I love salads!! I prefer Italian dressing which isn't as high calorie as a lot of them. I also use it very sparingly, I don't like to use too much.
  • akmomof7
    akmomof7 Posts: 162 Member
    Oh yeah, love a big salad! My favorite is a big pile of romaine with carrots, tomato, peppers, red onion, and cucumbers topped with a big scoop of tuna salad, no dressing other than the mayo in the tuna.

    When I do a salad that needs dressing I often put the dressing in a container on the side and just dip my fork into it before each bite. Plenty of flavor. (And I usually dip my tomatoes and carrots in for a little extra dressing! Lol)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    ysoto2014 wrote: »
    Kinda like coffee I feel like people say salads are great and some people say no. My favorite salad is the chicken Caesar but apparently it's horrible to eat due to the dressing. So is there a salad that is a better option? Not a picky eater I usually do a sandwich for lunch but am trying to cut the bread out.

    Any salad can be light........... and any salad can be horrible. It's what you make it. I have a co-worker that absolutely drowns her salad in dressing. It's all about portion control.

    I LOVE chicken Caesar. I use light dressing (Ken's).....and then I measure everything out, from the dressing, to the cheese, and the grilled chicken.

    Find a dressing that you can enjoy in a small(ish) quantity. Fat-free dressings have a weird aftertaste (to me) and well, dietary fat isn't something to shun (any more).

    Why are you cutting out bread? Elimination diets don't work for me. So I cut back on bread instead. All things in moderation for me.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I love salads. A bunch of produce in a pile with some meat. Avocado and/or dressing on top. Delicious.
  • stephaniej2888
    stephaniej2888 Posts: 93 Member
    I get a chef salad every once in a while, but I'm not a huge fan of salad unless it has a lot of goodies in it (meat, eggs, etc.). Also, I always use to full fat (full flavor) dressings and ranch Is my favorite. I typically get the dressing on the side and dip my fork in it, then stab some salad and take a bite! Lots of yummy ranch flavor without making my salad swim in it lol
    My problem with salads is no matter how much of it I eat I am ALWAYS hungry an hour or so later...which is why I don't get them often lol
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I eat salads sometimes. I usually use a vinaigrette dressing.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10270725/things-to-go-in-salads/p1
    No food is horrible if you like it and it fits your goals.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    ysoto2014 wrote: »
    Kinda like coffee I feel like people say salads are great and some people say no. My favorite salad is the chicken Caesar but apparently it's horrible to eat due to the dressing. So is there a salad that is a better option? Not a picky eater I usually do a sandwich for lunch but am trying to cut the bread out.

    You can't blame the salad for the dressing...use less dressing...use lower calorie dressing, etc. Veggies are good for you...in that regard, salads are good...dumping an *kitten* ton of dressing, not so much.
  • kthompson601
    kthompson601 Posts: 174 Member
    I like salads, but I can get burnt out on them. For a long time I had them usually for lunch, and finally I got to a point where I thought, "I cannot eat these anymore." Now I might have two or three a week, with bell peppers, dark greens, carrots, and onions, dressed with a tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    You can find someone to tell you anything you eat/drink is horrible for you. Time to learn how to do your own evaluation. Log it. Does it fit your calories, does it fit your other goals, do you like it? If not then start adjusting. Instead of ditching the entire salad if you're concerned about the dressing use a different one, or use less, or make your own and control the ingredients.

    And people who have a problem with coffee are just a-holes. You don't need that negativity in your life.
  • Ayebee299
    Ayebee299 Posts: 5 Member
    I like kale salads for lunch because I can dress them the night before and they still taste good at lunch the next day. This week I made 2 different dressings so I don't get bored, one is a garlicky vinaigrette and the other is chipotle tahini. I also chopped up a bunch of different toppings so I don't get bored. I had to transition away from creamy dressings like ceasar because they add so many calories. Making my own dressings has definitely helped this, I've yet to find a healthy bottle dressing I actually like.
  • ysoto2014
    ysoto2014 Posts: 25 Member


    I LOVE chicken Caesar. I use light dressing (Ken's).....and then I measure everything out, from the dressing, to the cheese, and the grilled chicken.


    Why are you cutting out bread? Elimination diets don't work for me. So I cut back on bread instead. All things in moderation for me.[/quote]



    So a few people mentioned the Kens dressing so I will look that up and try it. I have stalled at my weight loss so a few people have mentioned cutting out bread. I don't over eat or do sweets so I am only addicted to seeing progress. It already takes time so when I don't see the scale go down I immediately panic!
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
    ysoto2014 wrote: »
    Kinda like coffee I feel like people say salads are great and some people say no. My favorite salad is the chicken Caesar but apparently it's horrible to eat due to the dressing. So is there a salad that is a better option? Not a picky eater I usually do a sandwich for lunch but am trying to cut the bread out.

    I usually have bread WITH the salad; otherwise it is an unsatisfying meal to me.
  • ysoto2014
    ysoto2014 Posts: 25 Member


    And people who have a problem with coffee are just a-holes. You don't need that negativity in your life. [/quote]

    Hilarious!!!!!
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I like taco salad, which is basically taco meat over greens, and topped with sour cream and salsa mixed together as the "dressing". I generally like salad, but agree that the dressing can be killer, so I always have it on the side, and then I dip my fork into it, then take a forkful of salad - that way I get the taste but am in complete control of how much of the dressing I get.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Love salad, all kinds. Restaurant ones can be high cal, though, so look at ingredients and consider getting the dressing on the side (or check calories if it's a place that posts them).

    I like making my own dressing, as you can control how caloric it is and there are tons of delicious options. My most common ones are pretty low cal (mostly vinegar, although I usually use a little olive oil).
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Most of my salads I make myself. I found balsamic reductions and love them! They make great dressings; low cal and low sodium. If I'm out, I stay away from Caesar salads because of the dressing (too high in sodium for me) unless I'm having an IDGAF day. Taco salads are awesome.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    I love salads too! I find myself craving them for dinner several times a week. I generally use a tsp of olive oil, balsemic vinegar and a sprinkle of McCormick salad seasoning. When t get a dinner salad at a restaurant I usually ask for dressing on the side and a box so I can put half away for lunch before I start eating, since I like the dressing mixed in with the greens.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I only like salad when I get yummy creamy dressing on it, like bleu cheese or Caesar. Those don't really fit into how I want to have my calories, so I tend to shy away from salads as a meal because they don't really fill me up. Any day I can "win" at calories without having to have a salad I don't want is a major victory for me.
  • subakwa
    subakwa Posts: 347 Member
    Salads are a battlefield in our house! My other half would eat them every night, I find them boring and unsatisfying without a good deal of goodies on.

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  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    ysoto2014 wrote: »
    Kinda like coffee I feel like people say salads are great and some people say no. My favorite salad is the chicken Caesar but apparently it's horrible to eat due to the dressing. So is there a salad that is a better option? Not a picky eater I usually do a sandwich for lunch but am trying to cut the bread out.

    Count your calories, everything that goes into a salad adds up. For Ceasar salads, it's usually the croutons and dressing that are a no-go for those watching their calories. Opt for seeds instead of croutons for the crunchiness and use a light version of the dressing. Also, if you like sandwiches, why don't you try a lettuce wrap instead of bread? One of my favorite replacements!