how much salad is too much salad?

Lotte34

Right folks! I started a new diet this week (and its really worked so far) however I am hungry a lot.
I have been snacking on salad in between meals (by salad I mean green leafy lettuice, a chopped spring onion, three cherry tomatoes and a couple of thin slices of pepper). I have specifically chosen these salad stuffs for their negative calorie properties.
So as good as this sounds, i realsed yesterday that i had had 4 apples and 5 bowles of salad throughout the day..... Just how detrimental can salad be to a calorie controlled diet?

feliciapeters

girl
you need some protein.
you are not a rabbit

bjshooter

Salads fine, hardly ay calories in there at all and the eating more speeds up your motabolism. I eat massive salads with my meals.

rockylucas

Well there is no such thing as a negative-calorie food, (check online that is a myth)... however if you are going to graze on a food all day long, veggies/salads are your best option. So long as you are watching the amount of calories you take in, (For example... if you eat a whole head of lettuce, a whole onion, a whole container of cherry tomatoes, a whole pepper, etc... just make sure you document that you ate those calories...) But considering that eating a bunch of that all day is maybe 100 calories or so, I can't imagine that it would be detrimental at all. It sounds to me like you have found a very healthy, clever snack option

My go to snack option is giant dill pickles. Only 20 calories a pop and you feel like you have ate something substantial after you down one.

cm2two

protein on top of the salad is a good idea!!

JamieSK

Add some red, orange or yellow peppers if you like them; a little tuna or crab meat could help...the crab no fat but the tuna has a little...

KeepOnMoving

You can never have too much salad or raw vegetables! But you can have too much salad dressing, cheese, salad meats, croutons, etc. If your hungry, I would add some protein like nuts for a snack. Don't forget 23 almonds is one serving. 50 calorie cheese sticks are good to snack too. If you crave bread, make sure you go with the complex whole grain/ whole wheat. That breaks down and metabolize a lot faster than white bread. Plus it has more nutrition for you. Sounds like your off to a great start! Don't forget to keep drinking that water!

Melmade

I don't think too bad, but I have to have some protein too, or I get hungry no matter how much salad I have. I do know if I make the veggies into a soup and add a little protein I stay filled up longer.

mermx

I think it sounds fine...and I am presuming that your normal meals (as you have said the salad is in between snacks) contain the protein that everyone is mentioning.

You really shouldn`t be hungry during the day if you are eating a balanced diet even if it is calorie controlled.

Good luck x

Lotte34

Thanks for your input guys, just for those chatting about protien, i did mention i was snacking on salad between meals, all my meals have meat in them = plenty of protien. Was just concerned as i am eating LOTS of salad, but you all agree that its not a bad thing so i am going to go get some for my supper!

Cheers guys

JENIFER_AZ

Yum salads! How about protein shakes to mix it up?

veganbaum

No such thing as too much salad, as long as you are getting the nutrients you need from all your meals and not smothering it in fatty salad dressing, but as was mentioned above - you still have to track the calories. If you're eating it as snack just to keep full, then I would add some other stuff to it. Stuff like sunflower or pumpkin seeds which are beneficial for you and tasty; branch out on the veggies you are adding (again - the calories do count, but it's veggies, so really you can branch out and it's not going to add a whole lot); add a little bit of beans in there - garbanzos, black, kidney, pintos - lots to choose from to help fill you up a bit and add some more nutrients. You can add just a sprinkling of seeds or nuts and beans without adding too many calories to help make the snacks more filling and nutritious.

ShrinkinMel

I don't think you can have too much salad(raw veggies) your body just will feel too stuffed at some point. Some people feel like they are hungry after a salad but I always wonder how big it was and what was put in it. I know I was raised eating a ton of fresh produce from our gardens(junk stuff unfortunately, which caused me to gain weight in my preteen years) and it truly can fill you up so you eat proper balance and portions of dinner. I agree with the seeds too. Great protein and fiber in sunflower seeds. Sesame seeds have tons of calcium too.

That said you need protein and fiber and other nutrients too. Its fine to eat lots of green leafy vegetables but be sure to keep balance.