620 calories for a homemade salad?

Rylie324
Rylie324 Posts: 58 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just can't wrap my brain around this! Last night I had grilled boneless skinless chicken and grilled pineapple on a salad with the normal tomatoes, cucumbers. I did cut up a cheese stick and put some cranberrys on top. How in the world can a salad be 620 calories? I shouldnt feel guilty after eating a salad and yet it completely threw my night off!

Just venting and checking to see if I am over caculating something... Please Lol!

Replies

  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    Did it have any dressing? Sometimes dried fruit has added sugar. Did you weigh the chicken breast? Did you weigh the tomatoes and cucumbers or just eye ball a portion size? A lot of vegetables are not too high in calories but if you just add multiple servings on top it adds up bit by bit. Also calories definitely add up in pineapple, did it have a lot of pineapple on the salad?

    At the time when I bought my Ocean Spray craisins I did not realize that on top of the fruit sugar, there is also ADDED sugar.
    I won't buy it again, will look for a different brand or just stick with my Sun Maid raisins, no added sugar.
  • tripod271
    tripod271 Posts: 112 Member
    I just can't wrap my brain around this! Last night I had grilled boneless skinless chicken and grilled pineapple on a salad with the normal tomatoes, cucumbers. I did cut up a cheese stick and put some cranberrys on top. How in the world can a salad be 620 calories? I shouldnt feel guilty after eating a salad and yet it completely threw my night off!

    Just venting and checking to see if I am over caculating something... Please Lol!
  • tripod271
    tripod271 Posts: 112 Member
    This is the beauty of tracking on MFP. We look at things differently now - all of us. It's a great way to take control of our lives and our health.
  • lorranya
    lorranya Posts: 1
    I understand perfectly! Just about every morning for breakfast I eat plain FF yogurt (6oz), 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, and 1/4 cup low fat/low sugar granola with a few cacao nibs......SO Delicious! BUT soooo many calories! I just enjoy it so much and look forward to it. I look at it this way, if it keeps me on my healthy eating plan and I'm still losing weight, and this is supposed to be a "lifestyle" then why not? :smile:
  • robinskv
    robinskv Posts: 107 Member
    For sure the pineapples and cranberries, especially if the pineapple was canned. Lots of extra sugar in there, hiding in wait to attack you! Good job tracking, and now you know for the next time!
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Yep... dressing and cheese and dried fruit add up. Add nuts and it's HUGE... but so good for you. You can cut back on the dried fruit or add fresh fruit (chopped apple), use super sharp feta cheese and just use a tiny amount crumbled.

    Okay, now I want a spinach salad for lunch...
  • KBecks
    KBecks Posts: 9 Member
    It sounds like a great salad! How many calories are you eating a day? I think that 600 calories is totally ok for a "main meal".
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    The salad you made was just 1 serving, right?
  • Josephina57
    Josephina57 Posts: 170 Member
    It sounds like a great salad! How many calories are you eating a day? I think that 600 calories is totally ok for a "main meal".
    this.
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
    WalMart’s salads are around 650 & up. It’s not really the number is it (?) or the fact you are eating healthy? Look at the big picture. :)
  • Rylie324
    Rylie324 Posts: 58 Member
    Yes it was just one salad, the chicken was about the size of my palm. My dressing is a low fat/calorie vinergrett and the pineapple was fresh cut. The cranberries are high in sugar but so delicious, I'm a sweet freak!

    Thank you all for your imput, I guess I was just shocked because I eat salad very frequently and have always felt good about it. Now I just need to figure out what I can skip or add.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    It's a common mindset that if you're eating something "healthy" that it must be low calorie. Not always the case when you start adding calorie dense toppings. Next time, buy some fat free cheddar and use a half serving. Try adding only 5 - 10 cranberries instead of (however many you added).
  • reneeileen
    reneeileen Posts: 455 Member
    That sounds about right. Salad toppings add up pretty quickly at 100+ calories a piece but the overall nutrition of the meal was likely really good - fiber, protein, fat. If you cut the cheese and cranberries in half you would probably save over 100 calories. Sounds like a good learning moment.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Yes it was just one salad, the chicken was about the size of my palm. My dressing is a low fat/calorie vinergrett and the pineapple was fresh cut. The cranberries are high in sugar but so delicious, I'm a sweet freak!

    Thank you all for your imput, I guess I was just shocked because I eat salad very frequently and have always felt good about it. Now I just need to figure out what I can skip or add.

    It looks like you didn't weight the chicken at all since you described as "the size of my palm." So how did you came up with the right amount (grams/lbs) to enter the information in your recipe section or food diary?

    If you weight and measure everything then you can decide how and what to reduce from your salad. Just estimating will not cut it all the time, except when you dine out. IMOP
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Well... Firstly you are talking as if "It's a Salad! Therefore it must be healthy/goodforyou/lowcalories/indicativeofweightloss" and that is simply not true. At all. As a matter of fact there are many many restaurants or situations in which a salad might be the worst possible choice as far as nutrition goes.

    Secondly, like others have said that is the beauty of MFP you really get a different perspective on what you are eating. In the past there are plenty of things I thought I was "doing good" by eating that were nutritionally void and high in calories. Let it be a learning experience and move on.


    I might add 600 calories sounds like nothing to me. :P
  • Leiki
    Leiki Posts: 526 Member
    Healthy can have calories, too. It will give you more energy, and vitamins per calorie, though, which will fuel your day, and help you live a healthy life. It may be high in calories, but if you are working out, it can be worth it. At least when someone says "help, I can't seem to eat 1200. I'm so full" you have a recipe to give them, lol.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    I'm not sure how you would get that much? Did you enter each ingredient? Usually I can make a salad (romaine 1cup,spinach, Tomatoes 1/4 cup,sometimes 1/2 cup, cottage cheese 1/4 cup, 6 croutons, 4tbs of light balsamic vinegar,3- 4 oz of sirloin, and red potatoes on the side and its around 600 cals.
  • harleygaljojo
    harleygaljojo Posts: 111 Member
    If you look at some of the salads at restuarants that have grilled chicken and fruit in the salads they have aroung 1000 calories.
    Salads can be very tricky.
  • bemott
    bemott Posts: 180
    I feel your pain! As soon as you said pineapples, craisins and cheese I knew you added right. Try pomegranate seeds instead of craisins.
  • ryliejaiden
    ryliejaiden Posts: 68
    chicken, cheese, craisins, and pineapple are all whats causing your high calories. Cheese is the devil! haha
    When I make a salad its just a lot of lettuce with a serving of dressing and its under 100 calories and filling. If I have extra calories for the day I throw in a chicken strip.
    Stick to veggies in your salads and they will be very low cal and still satisfying :)
  • acelynp2
    acelynp2 Posts: 72 Member
    Not surprising. Cut the cheese, craisins and pineapple next time. It's totally possible to eat a healthy filling salad for 350 cals or so. Think 4 oz lean protein (e.g., chicken) for 160 cals, low cal dressing (2 tbs, 30 cals), and a whole ton of veggies: choose from stuff like swiss chard, spinach, arugula, tomatoes, mushrooms, red cabbage, some shredded carrots, cucumber, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc. Add a tablespoon of avocado or hummous for healthy fat.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Find what ingredients caused the count to be so high and maybe find alternatives. Berries instead of pineapple are lower in calorie and sugar.

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