Salads: I have seen the light!!!

malibootie
malibootie Posts: 614 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I have never been a big fan of salads. I won't say that I am now, but MFP has helped me see their benefits. As long as they are done correctly.

Knowing that I have not been eating enough veggies I have been trying to add a salad to my lunch at work. So today, my cereal bowl sized salad of spinach, carrots, celery, craisins, sliced almonds, and wishbone balsamic spritzer was all of 84 calories. 45 of which were from the almonds and craisins, so the veggies and dressing themselves were only 39 calories!!! I am thinking that I should skip the almonds and add some chicken or tuna for protein. If I do that, and make it a full sized salad, then I can cut out the frozen meal (thank you Smart Ones!) and while it may still be close to the same total calories, it will be better for me, high fiber and WAY lower sodium! Mmm.. I may have to look into a little bit of goat or feta cheese though- just for a bite!

Let's mix it up: what do you put in your salads???
«1

Replies

  • kellykat
    kellykat Posts: 180 Member
    I put tomato, avocado, reduced fat cheese and chicken in mine. My husband likes chicken, green apples and green onions with walnuts. Chicken, strawberry & pecans are good too with raspberry spritzer.
  • karlowe
    karlowe Posts: 92 Member
    turkey pepperoni..makes me feel like I am being bad but they're not! i think they have like 40 cal for 8 slices...
  • ka_42
    ka_42 Posts: 720 Member
    I put slivered almonds and dried fruit too! I also had a little cheese. Some cucumber would have been tasty. Today I had Ken's Raspberry walnut vinaigrette, only 1 calorie per spray (it is very flavorful and I was happy with 4 sprays! It was delish! I had some cottage cheese with blueberries on the side. :)
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
    I'm usually a pretty lame-O guy for my lunchtime salad. Lettuce & Tomato, a little Free Italian. That works for me, I like simple L&T, and I always have.

    I have that for lunch with 3 or 4 ounces of some lean meat and usually a little something starchy like leftover sweet potato or a heel of french bread. Finish with an apple. I usually 'spend' 400 or so calories on lunch.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    I usually have romanine lettuce, with red and green peppers, cherry tomatos, broccoli, cucumber, hard parmisan, half a hard boiled egg white, chicken and either basalmic vinigeratte or raspberry vinigarette. If I have the raspberry vinigarette I have to have organic because if it is made with HFC then it is too jelloy for me.
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
    I LOVE salads! I always steer away from croutons (calorie bomb!) and switched all dressings to the spritzers.

    My favorites are:
    Baby spinach, avocado, red onion, black beans, cuke and tomato (Balsamic spritzer for dressing)

    Mesculine greens, fresh green beans, rosemary red onions, baked sweet potato cubes and goat cheese (no dressing)

    Baby spinach, avocado, low fat cabot cheddar, egg whites, cukes, snap peas and tomato (ranch spritzer for dressing or fat free cottage cheese)


    :bigsmile:
  • ckmama
    ckmama Posts: 1,668 Member
    Apples, walnuts and avacado's are great in a salad. I know you wouldn't think of apples but they are delicious.:love:
  • Simplicity
    Simplicity Posts: 383 Member
    Along with my salad I always have a little bit of low fat cottage cheese with onion and chive. Its a little bit of extra protein and not too many carbs. Careful on salt tho like everything else. I either eat this with chicken or tuna crunch (tuna spring onion red pepper and chili with a little mayo). I tend to eat mine in two meals as well. Great for making my work shift shorter. some times I mix in rice aswell just adds a little different texture to keep things exciting (as much as they can be).
    Ben
  • JJRunning
    JJRunning Posts: 146
    I agree... I love apples and pears! I used to add crasains too, but they are high in sugar! I also like Purdue short cut chicken on mine.... soooooo easy for work!
  • Kellee76
    Kellee76 Posts: 11
    I, like you, never LOVED salads until I came up with this one while throwing items together on a camping trip:

    Into a gallon-sized ziplock bag, throw in mixed greens (I would not recommend iceberg for this one) until the bag is half to two-thirds full. (Alternatively, you can open a bag of pre-packaged salad greens--just open the bag carefully so it stays intact--and add the ingredients into the bagged salad.)

    Add 2 cups of thinly sliced ripe strawberries (Great way to use up berries that are a little overripe);1 small very ripe avocado, finely diced; 1/4 cup of chopped toasted pecans; drizzle with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, then finish with a quite generous sprinkling of Lawry's garlic salt and a little bit of fresh peper.

    Now, zip of the bag (or gather the top of the bagged salad tightly) and SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE! The longer you shake, the more emulsified the avocado, strawberry juice and olive oil become to make a thick dressing coating all the leaves.

    Open bag and serve. It serves 4-6 (depending on your appetite). If you're feeling decadent, finish by adding a tablespoon of reduced-fat bleu cheese crumbles on top. Delicious and super-easy to clean up.

    I hope you enjoy it! I'll have to research the calories and add them in another post :) Have fun!!
  • littlesuzieq
    littlesuzieq Posts: 103
    I like baby mixed greens, a little shredded cheddar, craisins, apple, sunflower seeds or chopped almonds and a balsamic vinaigrette. I've also been known to throw in some strawberries, blackberries or blueberries if I have them.
  • smarston
    smarston Posts: 78 Member
    Where do you get these spritzers I haven't seen or heard of them till this post?? hmm...
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Bell peppers, sunflower seeds, strawberries, sometimes bacon bits, hard boiled egg, chicken... not all at once, just things I've put in my salads before. Altogether, though, WOULD be fabulous. Yum.
  • Mary_Burris
    Mary_Burris Posts: 120
    I love this salad and make it quite often! Tyson Fajita chicken strips, Spinach leaves, Red bell peppers, Cherry Tomatos, Reduced fat Feta cheese, and Kraft EVOO Greek Vinagrette dressing. its sooooo good and flavorful and as long as you use the correct serving size of everything its low in calories and very nutritious.
  • kajaknowers
    kajaknowers Posts: 113 Member
    I live by salad....i have perfected my recipes in time so that they contain all the main food groups.

    half a can of tuna in spring water to provide protein
    30g of lower fat feta cheese to get my fat
    5 cherry tomatoes
    3 cups of spinach
    some cucumber
    half a red onion
    10g of wholemeal croutons
    90g of wholewheat penne pasta for carbs
    occassionally may add some extra nuts or a tsp of reduced fat caesar salad dressing

    Combined it makes a very healthy full rounded dinner thats both filling and delicious
  • chicka200413
    chicka200413 Posts: 55
    My salads are pretty simple, however I just realized how much onion gives it flavor! I now use red onion and little bit of green onions, cucumber, green pepper and romaine lettuce. Now for dressing I prefer the yummy creamy dressings, and I recently tried Marie's Yogurt Ranch dressing. It is delicious! And much lower in calories than other creamy dressings (I think it is 70 calories for 2 tablespoons). You find it in the section where the bag salads are because it needs to always be in the fridge.
  • lucky1ns
    lucky1ns Posts: 358 Member
    I make this when I am pushing for a good weigh in and I make goal everytime:

    Top lettuce with 1 can of tuna, some tomatoes, cheddar cheese, a boiled egg and some canned beets that are super cold.

    I top w/ either lt blue cheese dressing or lt ceasar mixed with some low fat italian dressing.

    I am not a sweets person and this really hits the spot.
  • lucky1ns
    lucky1ns Posts: 358 Member
    I love this salad and make it quite often! Tyson Fajita chicken strips, Spinach leaves, Red bell peppers, Cherry Tomatos, Reduced fat Feta cheese, and Kraft EVOO Greek Vinagrette dressing. its sooooo good and flavorful and as long as you use the correct serving size of everything its low in calories and very nutritious.


    Mary I just noticed your stats.

    Awesome! Way to go, girl!
  • lgday5
    lgday5 Posts: 6 Member
    I like virtually any veggies in almost any combinations. I buy the regular italian dressing in a bottle, then while it is separated, pour off two-thirds of the oil. It makes quite a zesty dressing, with lower fat. Sometimes I use low-fat cottage cheese instead of dressing. And sometimes I use no dressing at all, especially if there are plenty of vine-ripe tomatoes. Sometimes I do a chopped salad with cukes, tomatoes, green onions, mushrooms, and broccoli. Salads don't always have to have lettuce.
  • Mary_Burris
    Mary_Burris Posts: 120
    I love this salad and make it quite often! Tyson Fajita chicken strips, Spinach leaves, Red bell peppers, Cherry Tomatos, Reduced fat Feta cheese, and Kraft EVOO Greek Vinagrette dressing. its sooooo good and flavorful and as long as you use the correct serving size of everything its low in calories and very nutritious.


    Mary I just noticed your stats.

    Awesome! Way to go, girl!

    Thanks!!! :o)
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
    I really love to put dried cranberries on my salads. Gives them a nice zing/sweetness that makes a salad so much tastier. Just fruit in general in a salad is good too!
  • Mande_G
    Mande_G Posts: 599 Member
    My typical lunch "salad" is really a bowl of raw broccoli, baby carrots, and grape tomatoes (about 1 serving/85 grams each). My dinner salad is one cup (about 42 g) spinach, 1/2 cucumber diced, and 85 g grape tomatoes diced, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (I'm not a huge fan of dressing -- I like to taste the veggies.) Colored peppers are also an awesome salad addition.

    I will also have grape tomatoes with my afternoon snack, and often have at least one other veggie side with dinner (avocado, peas... whatever I have on hand, really.)
  • zildgian
    zildgian Posts: 7 Member
    Try pico di gallo as salad dressing. Low calore and very flavorful.
  • paddlemom
    paddlemom Posts: 682 Member
    I cheat and buy a weeks worth of the mixed salads in a bag and just grab one for lunch every day with a good protein.

    Instead of salad dressings - particularly the vinaigrette ones, try some of the flavoured vinegars - tons of flavour and practically no calories. My current fav is raspberry balsamic vinegar. It's got a sweet bite to it and is perfect for salads with any kind of fruits thrown in.

    If I'm feeling adventurous, I bring add ins like peppers zucchini brocolli snap peas for more texture. I LOVE pears - especially the crunchy green ones in my salads. Chop up a chicken breast or a couple of hard boiled eggs and you are good to go for lunch.
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
    MM! Any vegetables I have in the house, and if I have time I like them better grilled, especially red pepper, with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, avocado, and chicken breast. YUMMMM..

    And for dressing I usually get light ranch, and mix it half and half with lemon juice, so I can drench my salad for half the cals =)
  • becky23
    becky23 Posts: 60
    black beans, avocado, salsa, chicken, and melted cottage cheese! YUM!
  • Mary_Burris
    Mary_Burris Posts: 120
    black beans, avocado, salsa, chicken, and melted cottage cheese! YUM!

    Ohhhh I never thought about Melted Cottage cheese! ill have to try that!
  • msapplenomore
    msapplenomore Posts: 13
    They all sound good.. I like baby spinach with some fresh chopped mango,a few craisons and a tiny bit of crumbled goat cheese.
    I dilute a balamic vingirette with water and grate a little fresh ginger into it.
  • lgday5
    lgday5 Posts: 6 Member
    Pico de Gallo - Yum!
  • washingtonn
    washingtonn Posts: 13
    They are on the same aisle as the salad dressings in the supermarket.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories