Is this a healthy well rounded lunch ?

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Avocado_Angel
Avocado_Angel Posts: 2,362 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi iv really been getting into this health and fitness thing recently and am really trying to focus on quick and healthy meals, don't mind making the odd complicated dish but for quickness much prefer the quick and easy ones. That's where salad fits in nicely...

So most lunchtimes I'l prepare this;

150g mixed salad leaves
Tin of tuna steak in brine
Half yellow pepper
8 baby plum tomatoes
Garlic clove
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey

Might substitute the fish with chicken from time to time. So what ya think is this a decent lunch? I'm trying to lose weight and tone up.



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Replies

  • myname20
    myname20 Posts: 97 Member
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    Its fine as a snack, but I would probably get hungry 1 hour after eating this.. And why honey?
    You can add some carbs!
  • myname20
    myname20 Posts: 97 Member
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    Also I dont think its necessary to add 2 tbsp olive oil, maybe try just one or half..
    I eat my salad without any sauce at all, because I see oil on salad as a waste of calories and fat! :wink:
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,953 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Sounds decent. Could add some carbs, could add a glass of milk or something to get all the food groups. But decent enough :)

    Sounds like a lot of oil though? Personally I like my oils spread more throughout the day. But it's a salad dressing so sometimes that much is okay. A little salt and pepper in the dressing might make it a bit tasty too.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    myname20 wrote: »
    Also I dont think its necessary to add 2 tbsp olive oil, maybe try just one or half..
    I eat my salad without any sauce at all, because I see oil on salad as a waste of calories and fat! :wink:

    Olive oil is a very healthy fat. Dietary fat doesn't make us fat. In fact it's an essential macro. Several vitamins are fat soluble....we need fat in our diets to absorb them (A, D, K, & E).

    Plenty of people eat a high fat diet and lose weight.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    myname20 wrote: »
    Also I dont think its necessary to add 2 tbsp olive oil, maybe try just one or half..
    I eat my salad without any sauce at all, because I see oil on salad as a waste of calories and fat! :wink:

    Olive oil is a very healthy fat. Dietary fat doesn't make us fat. In fact it's an essential macro. Several vitamins are fat soluble....we need fat in our diets to absorb them (A, D, K, & E).

    Plenty of people eat a high fat diet and lose weight.

    very true, but if extra calories can be avoided with a similar taste/satiety level why not save them?
  • ZephieC
    ZephieC Posts: 162 Member
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    I eat something similar. Sometimes I add chopped apple and shredded cheese. I also sub tuna for ham or chicken and/or add some cooked egg whites. You can alter the veg and dressing to keep things interesting. My big salads usually come in around 300 ish calories and are huge. No problem staying full on it.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    300 calories in just the oil and honey. Not something I'd choose.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    300 calories in just the oil and honey. Not something I'd choose.

    This is my thought. OP, if you like it, it fills you up, and helps you meet your nutritional needs within the context of the day, then go for it. For me, 300 calories on dressing wouldn't be worth it every day for lunch.

    That doesn't meant it won't work for you, it just wouldn't work for me.
  • myname20
    myname20 Posts: 97 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    myname20 wrote: »
    Also I dont think its necessary to add 2 tbsp olive oil, maybe try just one or half..
    I eat my salad without any sauce at all, because I see oil on salad as a waste of calories and fat! :wink:

    Olive oil is a very healthy fat. Dietary fat doesn't make us fat. In fact it's an essential macro. Several vitamins are fat soluble....we need fat in our diets to absorb them (A, D, K, & E).

    Plenty of people eat a high fat diet and lose weight.

    Im counting my macros so I prefer to use my limited fat grams somewhere else :smiley:
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    edited April 2017
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    extra_medium wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    myname20 wrote: »
    Also I dont think its necessary to add 2 tbsp olive oil, maybe try just one or half..
    I eat my salad without any sauce at all, because I see oil on salad as a waste of calories and fat! :wink:

    Olive oil is a very healthy fat. Dietary fat doesn't make us fat. In fact it's an essential macro. Several vitamins are fat soluble....we need fat in our diets to absorb them (A, D, K, & E).

    Plenty of people eat a high fat diet and lose weight.

    very true, but if extra calories can be avoided with a similar taste/satiety level why not save them?

    Fine as long as you eat some fat with the meal... as another poster said, eating a salad with no fat at all means you aren't going to get the benefit of the vitamins A, D, K, & E.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Avocado_Angel wrote: »
    Hi iv really been getting into this health and fitness thing recently and am really trying to focus on quick and healthy meals, don't mind making the odd complicated dish but for quickness much prefer the quick and easy ones. That's where salad fits in nicely...

    So most lunchtimes I'l prepare this;

    150g mixed salad leaves
    Tin of tuna steak in brine
    Half yellow pepper
    8 baby plum tomatoes
    Garlic clove
    2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    1 tbsp honey

    Might substitute the fish with chicken from time to time. So what ya think is this a decent lunch? I'm trying to lose weight and tone up.



    If you like it and it helps you meet your goals for the day it is decent.
    If you like salads there are lots of ideas of what to include-http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10270725/things-to-go-in-salads/p1
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    300+ calories of oil and honey wouldn't do much for me personally.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    Avocado_Angel wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    300+ calories of oil and honey wouldn't do much for me personally.

    But I thought all calories arnt made equal ? My thinking was that olive oil is healthy, and including it in a healthy salad was a good plan for losing weight. I don't tend to snack through the day, so just have breakfast lunch dinner and a smoothie.

    My calorie intake for the day is usually pretty good in fact I'm sometimes well under it and have to eat something else just for the sake of it so I don't really find the 300+ calories make that much of a dent. Plus I workout most days and am on the go.

    I am a novice really and not into counting macros and anything too in depth atm. Just hoping to shift some extra weight and eat healthy

    If it works for you, that's great. I think people saying 300 cals in dressing wouldn't work for them. Me, I use very little dressing and add more stuff. I'd rather eat food than "waste" calories on oils. Or rather, I wouldn't "waste" my calories on oil dressing. I could drown my salad with 300 calories of balsamic reduction or lemon poppy seed dressing.

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