Salad again?

MikeDubya74

Afura wrote: »

I eat salad when I'm dumb enough to buy salad mixes when they're on sale, then they're about to go bad. I'm not a fan as I usually require more than just 'a salad'. Like bread, a salad is just a vehicle for other things to me. My mom will eat salad every day. Every day. Sometimes for lunch and dinner. We keep asking her where her rabbit ears and tail are.

I'm a bit bemused as to why you're eating salad if you don't enjoy it, what is the goal behind this? Is it calories, is it nutrients? Is it just that salad is supposed to be healthy so that's what you're supposed to eat?

@Afura - I can say there's really no rhyme or reason at this point. It's just a move to try to eat healthier and shed some calories and fat content from my diet. What I likely need is a nutritionist who can help establish a more regular diet given some dietary sensitivities. My salads are usually romaine lettuce, carrots, dried cranberries, a few croutons, and perhaps some walnuts. Dressing always on the side and never oil and vinegar. Usually it's a creamy dressing that I'll dip my fork into the into my salad.

At 43 years old, I just don't feel good about how I look, how my clothes fit, how much effort it takes to keep up with my kids. So small steps in changing the diet, trying to do it the right way so I don't yo-yo on the scale and clothing.

Strudders67

Do you make your own salads or are you buying them? Does the place that you get your lunch have the option of you picking and choosing what goes in to a salad? Could you take your own basic salad to work and have that with the burger, in place of the fries? Could you have the burger without the bun? I'm in the UK and have no idea what you'd pay for a burger etc, but could you let the company pay for that and you take in a salad to have with it? Alternatively, take in some additional ingredients to add to a salad that you buy with the burger.

My salads usually have (iceberg) lettuce, cucumber, tomato and radish as a starting point. That gives volume of food to seem filling without adding too many calories. To that, I'll some ham, chicken or tuna. Sometimes I add a handful of pasta, sometimes olives or roasted courgette or artichoke hearts, sometimes half an avocado, sliced or diced - so each day my salad is slightly different. The artichoke and courgette comes in a jar in sunflower oil so, by default, I'm usually adding a teaspoon of oil that serves as dressing. If you can cut out the croutons, that'll help. Dipping your fork in to a creamy dressing possibly still equates to at least a tsp with your salad.

dreawest

MikeDubya74 wrote: »

My company covers the first $10 of our lunch, so it wouldn't be uncommon to order pizza or a burger from a local restaurant (Seamless is a fantastic thing). So, that's where the salads have come in to the picture in trying to change some of those eating habits.

This, followed by you describing a typical salad for you makes it seem like you need some lunch alternatives and have a limited view on salads. I love salad and eat it often, pre weight loss me felt the same way. When I met my husband he felt salad could never be a main but he converted all on his own as he started saying there's no need to make these other items, just the salad is good. I also love a good side salad. Seriously, salad is kinda amazing as far as I'm concerned. None of that helps you with lunch though as you are looking at swapping fries for a sad side salad. If you don't enjoy those consider choosing a different main than pizza or burger a couple of lunches a week. Stirfrys and curries can be veggie packed and yummy. There are also some great salad places out there (depending on where you work) and subs and sandwiches can be loaded in veggies that can fill you up and help with changing habits.

All that to say, when I go out for a burger I don't typically get fries, I normally upgrade to yam fries or onion rings because yum. But I do also go out for salad, curry, Thai, sandwiches, salad rolls, and so on. So maybe instead of changing out your fries you might find it more enjoyable to add some alternatives to your lunch routine.

fitoverfortymom

I avoid salad mostly because the calories add up too fast for what you get, and I'm a suckered for creamy ranch and Bleu cheese dressings. I like to eat it, but usually can't "afford" it. I do make a bbq chicken salad under 500 calories that I love, but otherwise I stick with meals that are usually a meat, a carb, a fat, and 1-2 servings of veggies. It's just plug and play from there.

ejbronte

For me, a salad can be a great way to use up leftovers and can have almost anything: for example, yesterday I had a couple of pounds' worth of fingerling potatoes, just on the verge of turning. I tossed them in the microwave together with a very shallow layer of flavored up water. Tossed this into a container with some packaged greens, some sweet red and orange pepper which was also on the verge of feeling unloved, chicken, and toasted seeds from a butternut squash. Decided to add in some of the squash, too. Covered it, shook it around with some balsamic vinegar. Done.

bbell1985

I eat the salad. I love it. I just put whatever I'd want in a sandwich or burger, in a salad instead. Every lunch and dinner yo.

PaulaWallaDingDong

bbell1985 wrote: »

I eat the salad. I love it. I just put whatever I'd want in a sandwich or burger, in a salad instead. Every lunch and dinner yo.

I just imagined a salad with iceberg, red onions, tomatoes, pickles, doritos and american cheese drizzled with ketchup and mustard. That actually doesn't sound half bad.

bbell1985

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

bbell1985 wrote: »

I eat the salad. I love it. I just put whatever I'd want in a sandwich or burger, in a salad instead. Every lunch and dinner yo.

I just imagined a salad with iceberg, red onions, tomatoes, pickles, doritos and american cheese drizzled with ketchup and mustard. That actually doesn't sound half bad.

Do it. I make a cheeseburger salad with ground beef, onion, mushroom, cheese, jalapenos and reduced sugar ketchup.

I've also put porkrinds, avocado and chipotle sauce in my salad.