Salad measurements w/o a scale

lov3alwaysk

When measuring salad with a measuring cup and not a scale. Is the salad supposed to be compressed in the cup and squished down or do you leave it with all the air in between? I just want to make sure I am eating the right portion sizes.

Thanks everyone!

MOMvsFOOD

Are we talking tuna salad or iceberg salad?

tlp8rb

If you're talking about a garden salad (lettuce, carrots, cabbage, cukes, etc.) don't worry about measuring it. These things are so low in calories and take so much energy to digest that they are zero calorie foods - in other words, the calories burned in digesting them zero out the calories in them.

Eat all you want. I wouldn't even bother logging them.

SuperMoniMonk

I just count a cup as a handful ..:)

kitkat1781

I never know about this either!! I've started cutting my lettuce into thin strips so they fit better in a measuring cup and I usually push it down a little bit. I think it's not a huge deal though, because lettuce, carrots, peppers, other salad "ingredients" don't have too many calories. If you're concerned, you could always round up to be safe!

scagneti

If you're talking about a garden salad (lettuce, carrots, cabbage, cukes, etc.) don't worry about measuring it. These things are so low in calories and take so much energy to digest that they are zero calorie foods - in other words, the calories burned in digesting them zero out the calories in them.

Eat all you want. I wouldn't even bother logging them.

That's my theory. I do a plate full of the healthy salad stuff (lettuce, carrots, celery, etc) and then measure the calorie dense stuff on top (cheese, protein source, dressing/oil, fruit, etc).

Amajoy

Ok so from the research I have done on this topic, the BEST way to get an exact portion size is to weigh the salad/lettuce on a scale. If you do it in a measuring cup, pack it "lightly", not to tight but not too loose.

Ulitimately, it is just lettuce!!! You cant do harm eating extra lettuce... Most people dont measure, and lettuce can be a good filler food if you are hungry.

tlp8rb

Here's a list of negative calorie vegetables and fruits:

Negative calorie vegetables:

Asparagus
Beet Root
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery Chicory
Hot Chili
Cucumber
Garden cress
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce
Onion
Radish
Spinach
Turnip
Zucchini

Negative Calorie Fruits

Apple
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberry
Grapefruit Honeydew
Lemon/Lime
Mango
Orange
Papaya
Peach Pineapple
Raspberry
Strawberry
Tomato
Tangerine
Turnip
Watermelon

lov3alwaysk

Thanks for the help everyone

live2smyle

Here's a list of negative calorie vegetables and fruits:

Negative calorie vegetables:

Asparagus
Beet Root
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery Chicory
Hot Chili
Cucumber
Garden cress
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce
Onion
Radish
Spinach
Turnip
Zucchini

Negative Calorie Fruits

Apple
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberry
Grapefruit Honeydew
Lemon/Lime
Mango
Orange
Papaya
Peach Pineapple
Raspberry
Strawberry
Tomato
Tangerine
Turnip
Watermelon

Negative calorie? What do you mean by that? Sorry very new to the calorie counting.

jcsalsa

I pack my 1 cup full of torn up romaine lettuce that is what I count. I also have a scale but haven't figured out yet.

tlp8rb

Here's a list of negative calorie vegetables and fruits:

Negative calorie vegetables:

Asparagus
Beet Root
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery Chicory
Hot Chili
Cucumber
Garden cress
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce
Onion
Radish
Spinach
Turnip
Zucchini

Negative Calorie Fruits

Apple
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberry
Grapefruit Honeydew
Lemon/Lime
Mango
Orange
Papaya
Peach Pineapple
Raspberry
Strawberry
Tomato
Tangerine
Turnip
Watermelon

Negative calorie? What do you mean by that? Sorry very new to the calorie counting.

I think I went a little far with this. I don't want anyone to think they can eat a half bushel of apples every day and not gain weight. The foods listed above are so low in calories that the process of preparing, eating and digesting them burns as many calories as they contain when eaten in moderation. They zero themselves out - but they certainly don't create a negative number that you can fill with other calories.

Take a rib of celery - it might be 10 calories. By the time you clean it, chew it, and digest it you've pretty much burned the 10 calories it contained. Some of this is already factored into your BMI so the information has to be taken with a grain of salt (figure of speech, not a suggestion).

Google "negative calories" and you'll find lots of information both pro and con on the concept. For me, I simply ignore the vegetables above and don't even log a small serving. On the other hand, if I eat an entire head of cauliflower, I do log it as that is way above a normal serving. I do log the fruit as I want the nutrition information reflected in my reports. I do ignore the natural sugar contained in fruit.