Salads

I eat only vegetables I like (most of the time). I make a batch of veggie soup every Sunday: mirepoix, chic or veg stock, baby carrots, tomato paste, spinach and cabbage. Sometimes I add a little chicken. I eat a serving of that, and then a side of sliced jicama, cucumbers, and
maybe cottage cheese with chopped tomato, herbs and a little balsamic or orange musket champagne vinegar from Trader Joes. Yesterday I had half of a delicious huge salad from California Pizza Kitchen which had arugula, asparagus, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, quinoa, purple onion and pine nuts. Less than 400 calories and much more delicious and satisfying than anything I could make! I know some make the canning jar layered salads. I used to use a Paul Newman sesame-ginger salad dressing that was under 35 calories for 2 Ts. Just search the shelves at your local supermarket. Enjoy your food, and explore. Don't eat anything that is not tasty, is my rule, otherwise I'll go off meal plan to get enjoyment.

Different types of beans or pulses , chopped egg, chicken or fish (tuna and salmon are my fave), carrots, water cress, beets, cabbage, parsnip, raw broc or cauliflower ...so many combos. Dressings are usually simple ...vinaigrette I prefer citrus or balsamic, greek yogurt with different seasonings ( instead of ranch ) and sometimes hummus or salsa.

I just finished a salad for lunch. It was the boring lettuce/cucumber/vidalia variety. I dressed with lemon and salt/pepper. For me, once you get past the idea that it was without the sugar laden dressing it was good. The calories for the salad was one/half of the calories of the dressing I would have use previously.

I find that if you cut out 50-100 calories here and there it makes a difference at the end of the day. Maybe it leaves room for a Klondike no sugar added ice creme bar at 160 calories.

Hmmm...I'd have a difficult time calling 150 calories lunch...

I eat a lot of salads and I put all kinds of stuff on there in order to maximize my nutrition...because there's more to it than just veggies...most of my salads clock in around 500 calories.

I always have a lettuce mix in the fridge. I will also put carrots in the food processor and then cook them with frozen spinach or kale and curry spices and keep in the fridge all week. I'll make a huge salad with lettuce, warmed carrots/kale, grape tomatoes, and my dressing is giardinara and mustard. Spicy and flavorful and usually only around 110 calories. Sometimes I'll add protein (beans, tofu, leftover chicken).

I should have noted that I had a salmon patty (170 cal) with the salad (150 cal). Fair questions.
Saving calories for pizza for dinner.

I have also used pickled beets and and eggs for protein in salads.

annacsophia wrote: »

Hate vinegar?? That hurts my heart. My favorite homemade dressing is a French vinaigrette where you boil a few garlic cloves then mash with a fork, add herbs, little Dijon mustard, little red wine vinegar, and whisk in some olive oil. That with some parmesan over romaine and red onion...ugh...

I don't have red wine vinegar, but do have balsamic....I think I just found a new dressing to experiment with!

Love the sound of orange and poppyseed - will have to see about concocting some sort of a dressing using those!

MadamPlum wrote: »

barbecuesauce wrote: »

I just use salsa/pico de gallo. How are your salads only 100-150 calories? What do you use for protein?

Nothing, it's all about what's easy to put together. Bit of chicken or tuna is a good idea. Salad still bulks the meal out so it's not too many calories.

Okay, just bear in mind that you need protein to preserve LBM. .6-.8 grams/lb. of body weight is a good place to start. If you're getting that over the course of the day, fantastic, but it's something to think about if you aren't.