Salad Can Be Worse for You...

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superjae5
superjae5 Posts: 64 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
One thing I've learned from MFP is that just because you order a salad doesn't mean you are actually eating less calories than your friend who ordered a burger or burrito. Whenever I'm at a local favorite restaurant (Cafe Rio) the girls often get the salad, and the boys the burritos. But the burrito, according to MFP, has less calories than the salad (if both are completely consumed).

The culprit behind this difference is more often than not in the salad dressing.

I've found at least ordering the dressing on the side helps immensely with keeping calories under control. I usually just dip my fork in the on the side container, and spread minimal dressing over the part of the salad I'm consuming. Basically enough to give it flavor vs. soaking it. Obviously there are other choices you can make to help too, like choosing a vinaigrette over a creamy one. What I usually do at Cafe Rio or for many other salads is use limes (or lemons) to give the salad flavor. You can be fairly liberal and still avoid the calories.

Something else I've tried recently is plain yogurt as a "dressing." Add different spices to change it up (you can even get ranch dressing spice packets). I've done dill often, and you can also add ground up/or shaved pieces of cucumber. If you want it thicker, use Greek yogurt.

Sometimes depending on the salad you may not need dressing at all (fruit-based ones, or ones with BBQ or other kinds of saucy meat). But taking down the amount of salad dressing can take an 800 calorie salad down to 500 or less (especially at Zupas).

What about everyone else? What other salad tips do you have to keep the calories in check?
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Replies

  • blynn2708
    blynn2708 Posts: 275 Member
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    I've been known to put salsa on a salad:wink:
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
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    I never put salad dressing on my salad...and I avoid eating lettuce...it is so boring. I usually make my own salads full of other vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, peppers, broccoli, spinach, etc. Somtimes I will put a small amount of balsamic vinegar...but that is it.
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
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    I've been known to put salsa on a salad:wink:

    i do this as well!!!!!! :) I love salsa.
  • sabrina32576
    sabrina32576 Posts: 364 Member
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    Sometimes I will use salsa as a dressing
  • sandhen
    sandhen Posts: 7
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    I do exactly what you do. Dressing on the side. The more I get familiar with calorie count of various food items the easier it gets to calculate your intake. The phone app works well in those situations
  • ninakir88
    ninakir88 Posts: 292 Member
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    I always get my dressing on the side and just dip my salad in it.
  • KaciPatricia
    KaciPatricia Posts: 11
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    I add a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to mine:)
  • boobee32
    boobee32 Posts: 450 Member
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    I eat a salad every day for lunch. One that I bring from home though....You are right, the salads in the restaurants are outrageous. I use lots of veggies, NO cheese, I use either lemon, sugar free vinegarette, (and very little of it) or i use rice vinegar. I really enjoy my salads, they are very low cal, very filling and I dont worry about excess calories.
  • MsKekeSoFocused
    MsKekeSoFocused Posts: 383 Member
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    I love salad, and if you make if from home verses buying out, then you will be fine...
  • jminnis1
    jminnis1 Posts: 1
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    Salsa.. definitely lots of spicy salsa!
  • ahinski
    ahinski Posts: 200 Member
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    This is especially true for fast food places and chains like Cheesecake Factory, TGI Friday's, Applebee's, etc...

    Here are 5 salads that have more calories than a whopper:

    Wendy's BLT Cobber -- 740 calories, 15.5 grams saturated fat
    Quizno's Chicken Caeser Flatbread Salad -- 920 calories, 20.5 grams of saturated fat
    Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad -- 1,310 calories, 15 grams saturated fat
    California Pizza Kitchen's Waldorf Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing -- 1,570 calories, 30 grams saturated fat
    T.G.I. Friday's Sante Fe Chicken Salad -- 1800 calories

    There is a great book that is always on the coffee table in the lobby of my gym. It's called something like "Eat this, not that" and it will SHOCK you what seemingly healthy foods are actually terrible for you.

    This is why apps like MFP are great because they help us stay educated, by looking up the nutritional value of our foods before we order them. :)
  • chellk71
    chellk71 Posts: 69
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    salad bars have been shown to be horrible offenders. cause the good is there but usually over shadowed by all those choice toppings.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I would get the burrito.
  • PrairieRoseNE
    PrairieRoseNE Posts: 265 Member
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    I like the idea of adding ranch or dill seasoning to greek yogurt for a lettuce dressing!! A great way to get in some dairy during the day. Have to try that!
  • KatiD83
    KatiD83 Posts: 152 Member
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    I usually get salads no matter where I eat. Since most restaurants have huge portions, I box half of my salad to go before I eat. I love crispy (fried) chicken salad so by saving half for another meal, I can still have what I want at half the calories.
  • SmileyJ23
    SmileyJ23 Posts: 349 Member
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    I love salad, and if you make if from home verses buying out, then you will be fine...


    I agree!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    One thing I've learned from MFP is that just because you order a salad doesn't mean you are actually eating less calories than your friend who ordered a burger or burrito. Whenever I'm at a local favorite restaurant (Cafe Rio) the girls often get the salad, and the boys the burritos. But the burrito, according to MFP, has less calories than the salad (if both are completely consumed).

    What about everyone else? What other salad tips do you have to keep the calories in check?

    I order the burrito. Or something other than a salad like a baked sweet potato or small filet and steamed or grilled veggie, a bowl of chili or soup if they have one that not cream based, grilled fish or shrimp, etc. I've never been a big fan of salads. They don't keep me full long enough.
  • ajcrider
    ajcrider Posts: 11
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    One of my favorite "bad for you" salads is the buffalo blue salad at Zaxby's. The last time we got take out I decided I would just splurge and have the salad I wanted but went to their website to get the nutritional information to so it could be added to my log. 780 calories. Then it hit me. As I looked at the ingredients I decided I could make some changes and make a better salad. I asked them to leave off the fried onions (110 calories, and to be honest I didn't even know they put fried onions on the thing), 150 calories for the Texas Toast that comes with the salad (I let my kids have that), and the buffalo chicken fingers at 350 calories (I took half of the chicken off and used it in a wrap the next day). The blue cheese and other ingredients had to stay. This salad has so much flavor with the buffalo sauce and blue cheese, there was no need for dressing...so I had my favorite salad and only used 345 calories!! I ate the whole thing, I was stuffed, and really felt like I had splurged.:happy:
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    I tend to choose salads that have a lot of meaty ingredients like the Cobb Salad. I'll usually use Ranch dressing. When all is said and done, the salad may have a lot of calories, but it fills me up better than the more calorically dense foods.
  • Summersadiva
    Summersadiva Posts: 110 Member
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    Just vinegar and fresh ground pepper for me...

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