Newbie! I can't believe my "healthy" kale salad is over 400 calories

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Sassypattysassypatty
Sassypattysassypatty Posts: 10 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Learning to navigate this app

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  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Many people are shocked when they start logging, salads, nuts etc.

    They think because they are nutrient dense then they won't be calorie dense.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    How are you arriving at that? What else is in the salad?

    Also keep in mind that "healthy"...as in nutritious, doesn't have anything to do with caloric density. There are any number of highly nutritious foods that are also calorie bombs. Conversely, there are many thing that are nutritionally void...and also low or no calories
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    What surprises you about it? Calories are just units of measure and have little to do with the nutrition of something.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
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    Calories are units of energy. They have nothing to do with how nutritious (aka "healthy") a particular food is.
  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
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    Is it the salad dressing? That can really up the calories. Also, nuts, cheeses, meat etc, but seems like a realistic amount for a meal. I always dip my salad in the dressing now. I find I use a lot less this way.
    A lot of eye openers for me when I began reading labels.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Dressing and nuts are very calorie dense.

    This was quite the eye opener when I first started on MFP and logging.
  • Sassypattysassypatty
    Sassypattysassypatty Posts: 10 Member
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    Today I made an awesome arugula, beet and avocado salad. Almost 500 calories! Dressing was dribble of raw organic honey < tsp and balsamic vinegar. I am limiting dairy but added 1 oz of goat cheese. What shocked me was the 2 walnuts and 5 dried cranberries added almost 100 calories and was barely noticeable (2 things I will leave out next time). I already incorporate 2 Brazil nuts and 1 Tbsp of goji berries in with my breakfast/snacks daily so far.
    This salad was over 400 calories (avocado), but so worth it.
    I am trying to cut out processed and 95 percent dairy.
    Thank you for your comments
  • CaliMomTeach
    CaliMomTeach Posts: 745 Member
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    I was so shocked by the number of calories in foods. I will never eat out the same way again. I went out to eat with my kids and a family member today, and I'm thinking to myself that my family members meal was probably close to 2,000 calories. I would never have even thought about it before. I am still working out that I won't be able to eat like that again, on any kind of regular basis anyway, and maintain my weight loss. I think that the number of calories in all foods, healthy and otherwise, is shocking to someone new to this. Knowledge is a powerful thing, and we can't unknow what we know. I think that is probably the most powerful thing logging on MFP has given me.

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