Supermarket Salad Bars

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MartinNUFC1
MartinNUFC1 Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
I have to buy lunch everyday at work (no fridge :mad: ) and my favorite, that I think is healthy, is the salad bar from Tesco. Since I have started tracking cals etc I have been eating a lot of cottage cheese and greek yoghurt for lunch but it is pretty bland...

Does anyone else eat this sort of thing? And would they have any idea on the cals/nutrition? I can't find anything online! I have stopped the pasta, creamy coleslaw and do enjoy the cous cous/quinoa and brown rice things with different dressings they have as well as some veggies but would not input it and it completely messes up my diary. If not, then I suppose I'll have to knock them on the head!

Many thanks :smile:

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Don't let your food diary dictate what you eat! If you enjoy the salad bar stuff, then I'd find a way of making that work for you.

    You're right to ignore the pasta and any obviously creamy dressings. Quinoa and rice will be higher in cals that you imagine - have a look in the database for some similar dishes. Raw veggies like peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce are so low you can just about ignore them. Sweetcorn will be a little higher. The dressings if they are oil based will be another source of calories.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Could you take your own measuring cups from home and measure your amounts? Also, be aware that there might be dressings on some of the stuff. When I get supermarket salad bar, I stick to the salad mix (usually the spring/spinach mix), some deli meat (I try to weigh it, then use a generic deli meat entry) and eyeball the veggies. Some sea salt and pepper, no dressing, maybe some nuts or seeds.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    I have to buy lunch everyday at work (no fridge :mad: ) and my favorite, that I think is healthy, is the salad bar from Tesco. Since I have started tracking cals etc I have been eating a lot of cottage cheese and greek yoghurt for lunch but it is pretty bland...

    Does anyone else eat this sort of thing? And would they have any idea on the cals/nutrition? I can't find anything online! I have stopped the pasta, creamy coleslaw and do enjoy the cous cous/quinoa and brown rice things with different dressings they have as well as some veggies but would not input it and it completely messes up my diary. If not, then I suppose I'll have to knock them on the head!

    Many thanks :smile:
    salad bars are notorious for having a lot of 'hidden' calories, maybe not so hidden, but the calories tend to pile up. If the only thing that is making you buy your lunch is lack of a fridge at work then i would:
    *bring a lunch that doesn't need refrigeration (e.g., bring the veg and cut them at work, add can of tuna, chicken/meat that you freeze and will defrost by lunchtime, etc). truth be told - i prepare my salad in a box at home, in the AM i add a small bag of precooked and frozen chicken/chicken burger/vegetarian burger etc to the box and keep it at room temp. by lunch time the frozen food has defrosted and i zap the chicken in the microwave for 1-2 minute or eat it cold. or sometimes i'll make a salad with tuna - and add some frozen veg just to keep it cold.
    *bring your lunch in an insulated lunch bag with an ice bottle.
    *petition your work to invest in a small fridge - they aren't expensive.

    I've eaten at supermarket salad bars once in a blue moon - usually when i'm traveling and i figure it's better than fast food, but i wouldn't want to do it on a daily basis
  • Scubanana7
    Scubanana7 Posts: 361 Member
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    lunch kits, bottle of ice and those things you pop in the freezer (they are cheap). CONTROL is the Number ONE issue in losingl. You have NO CONTROL if you are buying pre=made food. You have no idea what they put in it. CONTROL. CONTROL. CONTROL. Without it, very little else will work. Sorry.

    By taking your lunch...you also have time to play----here on mfp, a game on your phone, read a book, plan your diet/exercise, yak with a friend, walk around the workplace (working in a few minutes exercise is awesome), take a 10-minutes siesta, close your door (if you have one) and stretch, meditate, make out your grocery list
    Endless Possibilities come with the Control!
  • phatguerilla
    phatguerilla Posts: 188 Member
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    Agree with scubanana, personally I don't think a fridge is necessary for the few hours your lunch would be in a lunch box in your bag, but if it's really necessary to you (which is fine) either get some thermos options (can keep food cool as well as hot) or get a lunch box/bag cooler, you see them in outdoors shops for instance. You'll also have way more choice in what you get to eat as a result.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    You'd be surprised how many calories you'd save yourself if you took your own dressings. I personally love white balsamic on salads. Regular balsamic vinegar & red wine vinegar are also good.... and I don't think they would *have* to be refrigerated?
  • thefewsteps
    thefewsteps Posts: 201 Member
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    think about little kids school lunches, typically they dont have a fridge. What would you pack for them? what did you eat as a child? I remember getting deli meats on my sandwich. cold pasta salads, carrot, celery, cucumber, red pepper slices with hummus or salsa, oatmeal, raw veggies and just cooked them there.
  • rosiesmama
    rosiesmama Posts: 69 Member
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    I bring lunch almost every day and rarely put it in the fridge. When I bring something I'm afraid might 'grow' between breakfast and lunch, I throw in one of those frozen thingies. I once got food poisoning from the salad bar in our cafeteria and tend to avoid that, as a result. Also, I make one hell of a salad myself. Waaaay cheaper, too.

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