80 calorie salad - what would you add?

godblessourhome
godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
in Food and Nutrition
the lettuce uses up 20 calories.

what dressing/salsa would you use? what side items (like cucumbers, tomatoes, bacon bits, tortilla strips, cheese, etc) would you try to work in?

Replies

  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    Grilled chicken breast and some shredded parm.
  • mama2mila
    mama2mila Posts: 92
    diced bell peppers, cucumbers, green onions, sliced almonds... feta
  • jmather77
    jmather77 Posts: 7
    I recently found some 0 calorie dressing in the grocery store. It's Walden Farms (google it) and in all honesty, it wasn't too bad!! I've tried some low fat and fat free that were horrific so I wasn't expecting too much, but this wasn't so bad. I added parmesean cheese for 20 cals and that might be the trick. Throw in some deli turkey and a ton of veggies and you can easily stay under 100 cals.
  • Johnsweaver
    Johnsweaver Posts: 46 Member
    chickpeas
    tomatoes
    cucumbers
  • dizzydi1968
    dizzydi1968 Posts: 564
    Red pepper, cucumber, red onion, raddish, grated carrot and red wine vinegar (I dont like mayo or any other salad dressing) is my go to salad.

    If I have the calories to spare I add 20g of extra mature cheddar (83 cals) and a shake of bacon bits (39 cals).
  • BigBrewski
    BigBrewski Posts: 922 Member
    I recently found some 0 calorie dressing in the grocery store. It's Walden Farms (google it) and in all honesty, it wasn't too bad!! I've tried some low fat and fat free that were horrific so I wasn't expecting too much, but this wasn't so bad. I added parmesean cheese for 20 cals and that might be the trick. Throw in some deli turkey and a ton of veggies and you can easily stay under 100 cals.

    This is good news I'll have to pick some up and give it a shot.
  • akhebert4
    akhebert4 Posts: 9
    Lots of veggies, or if you need some protein, some chickpeas. Goat cheese crumbles also add a lot of tang and flavor.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    hard boiled eggs, a can of tuna, olive oil, apple cider vinegar

    that's a really hard one. Normally my salads are over 1,000 cals.
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
    weight watchers tuna, ham, or bernard mathews chicken strips.my diary is open.
  • jenlocicero
    jenlocicero Posts: 5 Member
    A tbsp. of flax or other seeds.
  • Melanie_RS
    Melanie_RS Posts: 417 Member
    black beans
    chia seeds
    raisins
    strawberries
    blueberries
    hard boiled eggs
    mushrooms
  • jennipea382
    jennipea382 Posts: 47 Member
    If I had a perfect salad, it would be:

    Spinach
    Broccoli
    Carrots
    Green onions
    Some sort of protein - either tuna or grilled chicken
    French or Italian dressing (fat free or low fat)
    Lowfat croutons
    MAYBE a little cheese. I love feta, otherwise some low fat cheddar works too. I usually leave the cheese off though.

    Of course all of that might get over 80 cals. To keep it low, I'd just omit the cheese and croutons, maybe the meat too.
  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
    I always skip the dressing entirely if I'm running that low on cals! :) Salt and pepper do fine... So, with that in mind, probably just zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, and a slice or two of ham. I'm not too concerned with sodium or processed meats in the first place. Whoops.
  • DarkFlutter
    DarkFlutter Posts: 336 Member
    As I'm not a big veggie person...my salad is pretty plain.
    And until last week, very non-existent.

    Romain Lettuce (1 cup)
    Carrot Matchsticks (not even a full serving)
    The best dressing EVER...Bolthouse Farms new Caesar Parmigiano Yogurt Dressing (1 TBSP)

    Last week I added in Baby Spinach..but sadly it didn't agree with me.
    This week I want to try sliced cucumber.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    I like rice wine vinegar on my salad instead of dressing
  • hazymary
    hazymary Posts: 190 Member
    Actually I LOVE, fruit in my salad..try blueberries or sliced pears,mandarin oranges or strawberries roasted red peppers, seedless cucmber, carrots, red onions......balsamic vinegar/ oil...experiment ther's just too many combos!
  • shbretired
    shbretired Posts: 320 Member
    russian or catalina low fat dressing

    red onion

    Salad Sprinkles

    fat free cheddar

    chicken or roast beef
  • Leeannboswell
    Leeannboswell Posts: 63
    As a salad base, I use kale, cleaned well and chopped fine. To my base I add purple cabbage all shredded fine, for color and fiber, a bunch of green onions chopped fine, lemon juice and about two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. This salad base is delicious, filling and full of wonderful vitamins and minerals. It lasts for at least 4-5 days (this is one bunch of kale).

    Then I have sandwich bags full of fresh stuff to add to my salads each day, all cleaned, chopped and ready to devour: sweet red peppers, cauliflower florets, cucumber (peeled) an avocado which 1/8th is a serving, so one good slice. The avocado helps it stick to your ribs. I keep all the bags lined up in a plastic box about the size of a shoebox in the fridge, and use it all up within a week. Use anything that looks yummy at the store or Farmer's Market. So many good things are available in season, you never have to have a boring salad.

    A nice big fat carrot sliced on the diagonal layered all around the top. I just grab whatever I feel in the mood for that day. I also add one small can Bumble Bee water packed tuna (it says 3 oz on the label, but in reality, if you put the meat on your own scale, it only weighs out to 1.5 oz. So I add 1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese and it makes a perfectly wonderful lunch. I cannot eat all of it, so I save it for my PM snack. When I am finished with it, I give myself a high five for being so virtuous!

    Add your preferred low fat dressing, measure it out, usually 2 TBS is the serving size.

    I keep the fruit separate to make a PM or evening snack of it because this salad is really so satisfying you don't need anything else. It really keeps me going, and I look forward to having it almost every day. Also, believe it or not, I have this salad for breakfast if I am going out to lunch. So I am fortified, my tank is full, and I know my body is healing from years of overeating and being careless with my health. I have NEVER screwed up eating out if I do this, and feel so great not having anything to "undo". Yay me! Yay you! LeeAnn - lost 34 lbs., Have 103 left to go. Salads will be my friend for a long time!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    so many good combos!

    i went with 3 cups lettuce (20), 1/2 sliced cucumbers (8), 3 red pepper rings (9), 2 tablespoons shredded carrot (10), 1 tablespoon parmesan (22), 2 tablespoons salsa (9) = salad (78 calories). win.

    i would have love some black beans, but 1/4 cup is 57 calories and i wouldn't have gotten to add anything else.
  • Sacredmoonglow
    Sacredmoonglow Posts: 4
    My favorite additions to low cal salads are:
    Cucumbers, Lentil sprouts, Wheat sprouts, Alfalfa sprouts
    Bean sprouts, Red sweet pepper, Yellow sweet pepper
    Kale, Celery, Parsley, Flax seeds (1/2 a tbsp), carrots
    Any kind of sprout is great substitute for crutouns (crunchy)

    For dressing I do lemon juice ( 1 lemon) salt and pepper or
    Balsamic vinegar And a splash of brag aminos. Or
    1 tblspoon Lemon juice, mustard and half stevia packet. Salt paper
    And a splash of hot pepper seeds ( the kind served with pizza)
    When you have a little more room for calories, I put orange peal in a jar
    And fill it with olive oil. I do the same with lemon peel. Just a tablespoon
    Of this oil with salt and paper enlivens any salad for me! : )
  • Leeannboswell
    Leeannboswell Posts: 63
    You did good! This salad sounds delicious!

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