How do you calculate a homemade garden salad?

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sydneydeb
sydneydeb Posts: 93 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was wondering how you all measure homemade garden salad? Do you weigh/count everything that goes into it or just count it as salad? I have salad most days for lunch, it's easy and I love salad.

I've cut out the fatty stuff like feta cheese :( (I did weigh that as I can't help myself when I comes to cheese) but I don't bother weighing the rest of it. I just sort of guestimate it.

Any advice appreciated.
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Replies

  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    There is a recipe builder available where you can put everything in to calculate the total calories.
  • DylanThomas2
    DylanThomas2 Posts: 78 Member
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    I do all my ingredients separately in the recipe thing because I change up what I am doing with my salads alot and I am paying attention to micros for my dad that eats the same things I eat.
  • sydneydeb
    sydneydeb Posts: 93 Member
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    PikaKnight wrote: »
    There is a recipe builder available where you can put everything in to calculate the total calories.

    I've done that but I still only guess how much lettuce, cucumber etc is in the salad. I don't weigh every single ingredient.
  • sydneydeb
    sydneydeb Posts: 93 Member
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    zachbonner_ wrote: »
    I just count the dressing

    I don't use dressing, just a bit of lemon juice (which I do count)
  • rachsoderberg
    rachsoderberg Posts: 55 Member
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    I don't normally count super low calorie things like salad or onion slices. I'll guesstimate and it's usually like 5-15 calories lol
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    sydneydeb wrote: »
    PikaKnight wrote: »
    There is a recipe builder available where you can put everything in to calculate the total calories.

    I've done that but I still only guess how much lettuce, cucumber etc is in the salad. I don't weigh every single ingredient.

    Than why does it matter how you log it if you don't know how much you are actually eating?
  • sydneydeb
    sydneydeb Posts: 93 Member
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    Because it still has kilojoules so of course I have to log it :)
  • zornig
    zornig Posts: 336 Member
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    sydneydeb wrote: »
    Because it still has kilojoules so of course I have to log it :)

    Lettuce, cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, bell peppers, whatever you put in a salad, have calories. I weigh everything. Figure you make a salad once, weigh everything, and then use that as a benchmark for every time you have a salad. Plus if you're trying to track your grams of carb and fiber, you'd want to log specific amounts as well.
  • 04hoopsgal73
    04hoopsgal73 Posts: 925 Member
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    I have actually been weighing everything individually. My weigh & measures were off so I'm being strict about having the correct portions in order to lose weight. The day will come where I'll likely go back to logging it by a recipe but then again my salads always have different things in them.
  • xtiansalcedo
    xtiansalcedo Posts: 25 Member
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    There's an entry in the database for "Mixed Green Salad" or somesuch. I'm not terribly fussy about macros....I'll measure out a cup worth of shredded lettuce mixed with some carrot shavings, cucumber slices, onion, etc., and log it as 1.5 cups to overestimate just to be on the safe side, but I do weigh and individually log stuff like croutons, dressing, and shredded cheese if I use it.
  • sydneydeb
    sydneydeb Posts: 93 Member
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    I've created the recipe once and named it so I'll just keep using that, thanks all.
  • kristydi
    kristydi Posts: 781 Member
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    You can save the typical ingredients as a meal. Then when you log it log that meal, then change the amounts.

    I put the bowl or plate on the scale and weigh as I toss stuff in, Zero the scale between each ingredient and its no big deal.
  • Caitoriri
    Caitoriri Posts: 87 Member
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    That depends on the size of your salads. It can add up. 100 grams (or 3.5oz ) sounds big, but you'd be surprised how small it is. And if you have 100g of tomatoes, that's already about 20 calories, lettuce, while low in calories, isn't calorie free. Carrots have a surprising number of calories too.

    I'd say weigh all the ingredients in what you consider your basic salad once, just once, enter it as a recipe and then just use that every time. From that time on, it's quick and easy. And then if you mix it up (like if you're feeling fancy and want to throw in cheese or lives or whatever) you can add those to your diary separately.
  • sydneydeb
    sydneydeb Posts: 93 Member
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    kristydi wrote: »
    You can save the typical ingredients as a meal. Then when you log it log that meal, then change the amounts.

    I put the bowl or plate on the scale and weigh as I toss stuff in, Zero the scale between each ingredient and its no big deal.

    Good idea, I may try that. Thanks
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    I use a medium size mixing bowl and scale.
    I pretty much have standardized the weight of different ingredients depending on bulk and Calories per gram.
    I put the bowl on the scale, tare scale, chop and weigh vegetable, tare scale, repeat.
    Total Calories from vegetables: 118 - 63%
    Total Calories from 30 grams (2 Tbsp) dressing: 70 - 37%
    Depending on the amount of vegetables in your salad and the type of dressing, a greater percentage of Calories can be from the vegetables rather than the dressing.

    mcuhrddbte8h.jpg
  • 007Charlette
    007Charlette Posts: 27 Member
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    I weigh and measure and record everything. I put it all as individual components.
  • sydneydeb
    sydneydeb Posts: 93 Member
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    CyberTone wrote: »
    I use a medium size mixing bowl and scale.
    I pretty much have standardized the weight of different ingredients depending on bulk and Calories per gram.
    I put the bowl on the scale, tare scale, chop and weigh vegetable, tare scale, repeat.
    Total Calories from vegetables: 118 - 63%
    Total Calories from 30 grams (2 Tbsp) dressing: 70 - 37%
    Depending on the amount of vegetables in your salad and the type of dressing, a greater percentage of Calories can be from the vegetables rather than the dressing.

    mcuhrddbte8h.jpg

    What's yambean?

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