Salad with high cals VS low cal non healthy foods...?

It's the chicken that's causing the problem. Just go with the salad -- spinach, veggies, etc. no cheese, no meat, no dressing. That's the healthiest option. Plus, all of those aforementioned items are bad for you.

Actually, they're not 'bad for you' per se - dairy, lean proteins and certain fats are essential for health - it's a case of moderation required. I'd keep the chicken, vegetables, a small amount of cheese and bacon, and stick to a simple dressing - olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for example. I can't quite see how a chicken salad can be 1600 cals without dressing. Unless it's all deep-fried...Are you sure the dressing has been included? A full meal at 600-700 calories (which sounds more likely) sounds like a good deal to me, and the protein will keep you full.

Lol, most people are entirely wrong about animal products. If moderation is less than 12 ounces a week, then yes, it's okay. Meat and Dairy, even at small amounts, have been linked to an increase in cancer risk. 2.5 servings of dairy alone can increase a man's chance of prostate cancer by 30%. And let's not even mention heart disease. I can have this conversation with you much more extensively if you want to argue it (because most do) but I won't waste a lot of time trying to explain it on here. Let's just say that the American diet, even the "healthy" american diet is no where near healthy at all.

Up the veggies, fruits, beans, and nuts-- that will give you a healthy salad. I eat a huge salad every day and can NEVER get it over 350 calories. But then again I don't use dressing, meat, cheese, eggs, etc. in my salad.

It's the chicken that's causing the problem. Just go with the salad -- spinach, veggies, etc. no cheese, no meat, no dressing. That's the healthiest option. Plus, all of those aforementioned items are bad for you.

Actually, they're not 'bad for you' per se - dairy, lean proteins and certain fats are essential for health - it's a case of moderation required. I'd keep the chicken, vegetables, a small amount of cheese and bacon, and stick to a simple dressing - olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for example. I can't quite see how a chicken salad can be 1600 cals without dressing. Unless it's all deep-fried...Are you sure the dressing has been included? A full meal at 600-700 calories (which sounds more likely) sounds like a good deal to me, and the protein will keep you full.

Lol, most people are entirely wrong about animal products. If moderation is less than 12 ounces a week, then yes, it's okay. Meat and Dairy, even at small amounts, have been linked to an increase in cancer risk. 2.5 servings of dairy alone can increase a man's chance of prostate cancer by 30%. And let's not even mention heart disease. I can have this conversation with you much more extensively if you want to argue it (because most do) but I won't waste a lot of time trying to explain it on here. Let's just say that the American diet, even the "healthy" american diet is no where near healthy at all.

Up the veggies, fruits, beans, and nuts-- that will give you a healthy salad. I eat a huge salad every day and can NEVER get it over 350 calories. But then again I don't use dressing, meat, cheese, eggs, etc. in my salad.

Oh, well if you're going to make statements like that it'd be nice if you could put up a discalimer like "I'm a vegan or vegetarian" so that the rest of us can just roll our eyes and move along rather than worry about correcting you. Some might try anyway, but whatever.

It's the chicken that's causing the problem. Just go with the salad -- spinach, veggies, etc. no cheese, no meat, no dressing. That's the healthiest option. Plus, all of those aforementioned items are bad for you.

Actually, they're not 'bad for you' per se - dairy, lean proteins and certain fats are essential for health - it's a case of moderation required. I'd keep the chicken, vegetables, a small amount of cheese and bacon, and stick to a simple dressing - olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for example. I can't quite see how a chicken salad can be 1600 cals without dressing. Unless it's all deep-fried...Are you sure the dressing has been included? A full meal at 600-700 calories (which sounds more likely) sounds like a good deal to me, and the protein will keep you full.

Lol, most people are entirely wrong about animal products. If moderation is less than 12 ounces a week, then yes, it's okay. Meat and Dairy, even at small amounts, have been linked to an increase in cancer risk. 2.5 servings of dairy alone can increase a man's chance of prostate cancer by 30%. And let's not even mention heart disease. I can have this conversation with you much more extensively if you want to argue it (because most do) but I won't waste a lot of time trying to explain it on here. Let's just say that the American diet, even the "healthy" american diet is no where near healthy at all.

Up the veggies, fruits, beans, and nuts-- that will give you a healthy salad. I eat a huge salad every day and can NEVER get it over 350 calories. But then again I don't use dressing, meat, cheese, eggs, etc. in my salad.

Oh, well if you're going to make statements like that it'd be nice if you could put up a discalimer like "I'm a vegan or vegetarian" so that the rest of us can just roll our eyes and move along rather than worry about correcting you. Some might try anyway, but whatever.

Thank you - you beat me to it. Unfortunately there are a lot of highly-selective 'studies' out there that say one thing or another is 'bad' or raises the risk of one or the other thing, and it gives rise to a LOT of misinformation. Often these results are simultaneously or subsequently disproved (eggs and 'bad' cholesterol, anyone?!), or the studies are so selective (and the hypothesis so wide-ranging) that the results are essentially meaningless anyway. I could also argue this for a long time, but I have better things to do today. jts, I wish you all the luck in the world with your animal-product-free diet. OP, I hope you find a less-extreme way of reducing the calories in your salad and maintaining your intake of essential nutrients for long-term health.

I didn't mean to insult anyone. I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, I just like to aim for a plant-based diet, but indulge in chicken wings and our local diner's mac and cheese every once in a while.

My argument, and I apologize if it came off differently, was that a lot of meat and dairy isn't very good for you. It's caloric and a good way to get past that in a salad is to replace it with things like nuts beans or seeds.

Sorry.

I didn't mean to insult anyone. I'm not a vegan or a vegetarian, I just like to aim for a plant-based diet, but indulge in chicken wings and our local diner's mac and cheese every once in a while.

My argument, and I apologize if it came off differently, was that a lot of meat and dairy isn't very good for you. It's caloric and a good way to get past that in a salad is to replace it with things like nuts beans or seeds.

Sorry.

Nuts, beans and seeds are pretty high in calories, too. High calorie =/= unhealthy.

Yes, true, but they have so many healthy benefits to them -- the amount of omega 3s -- that they should be picked first. High nutrient foods > low nutrient foods.