Salads

I had my first salad well from Taco Bell the other day and I really missed eating my salads and I had no problems with it as long as I chewed well.

My question is salads are all water basically and does not stick with you , but they are good for you and to be honest help me go to the bathroom also lol.

Do you count salads as part of your one cup meal ? or do you eat some on the side not a huge bowl but a nice little bowl of it ?

I know me and if I eat some salad as part of my cup of food there is no way I will stay full I will be hungry in matter of hrs salads just does not stick with me that well even if I had 1/2 cup of protein to it .

I am wanting to fix me a salad for dinner but really dont know how to count it as a meal plan ??

Or is this one of the things I will just have to give up because it dont keep me full ?

I use the shredded lettuce for my salads and just pile my protein on top and include it as part of the salad. I don't know that I would count it as part of the cup of food if it is just lettuce and a few low cal veggies with a low cal dressing, because it's not gonna add up to much. That's just me, but I do get full on my salads.

I eat salads sometimes, but I do make sure there is plenty of protein on them (chicken,ham,turkey,eggs,bacon,cheese) in moderation, of course. Surprisingly enough, they keep me satisfied a good 3-4 hours. Although my surgeon's office will say that they are a "slider" food, they seem to do the trick for me. I make sure I use light dressing and if the salad is big enough, I will box half of it up before I put on the dressing (prevents sogginess) for a later meal. Important- salads made with iceberg lettuce don't have any nutritional value, so be sure to ask if they can make it with romaine or some other leafy lettuce.

A simple chart for you that shows you what lettuce are made of, "all lettuce" not just some.

Nutritional Value of Lettuce Given below is the amount of nutrients present in 100 gm of lettuce: 

• Carbohydrates - 2.2 g
• Dietary Fiber - 1.1 g  
• Fats - 0.2 g
• Protein - 1.4 g
• Water - 96 g
• Vitamin A - 166 μg
• Folate (Vitamin B9) - 73 μg
• Vitamin C - 4 mg
• Vitamin K - 24 μg
• Iron - 1.2 mg
• Energy - 10 kcal (60 kJ)  

on my post-op menu, after 6 weeks it looks like I can have a cup full of food (protein/veggie) and it says I can have a small salad at the end of the meal as tolerated.  So, the way that I take that is that its not part of my cup full of food but additional if I need it.  So, thats how I have been doing it. =)....I do use a low fat dressing and I put cheese crumbles on it just to get a little added protein.

Thanks guys for all the advice :o)

My doc said it was a slider also and for me it is a slider I never could stay full from salads lol. Even if I ate a huge salad I was hungry within hrs after eating it .

I will try one after dinner like you do Mizz and see what happens :o)

All I would put on it some cheese and some dressing also I have never been a person that puts alot of stuff on their salads .

Hislady I would be using the shredded also .  That is what I had at Taco Bell and knew I could eat it without any problems

Steeler seems like u answered your own questions.
Z

Gosh I LOVE salads. I was so worried I might not be able to eat them because I'd heard others having some trouble tolerating them.

I don't count the lettuce or any of the low cal veggies like cukes that I might top a salad with in my meal volume ( but it's usuallry around 1 -2 cups) but I DO count the protein and any cheese, sunflower seeds, dressing, I put on it.  With the protein and all the toppings a salad (if eaten as a whole meal) might be around 1.5 to 2.5 cups of food and will keep me satisfied for several hours.

Trixie

Steeler fan... my buddy 

I usually count my salads as my veggie... well, actually what I really do is count the protein as my "cup" then whatever I eat along that is just what I eat along that.  If I don't do shredded lettuce, I usually do some baby spinach (my fave!)... goes down easily and I get more nutrients then just plain ol lettuce.  I can do fresh mushrooms and carrots but can't tolerate peppers or celery... even after all this time.... once in a while a little red onion on top too.

Have fun with the different varieties!

Talk to ya soon!
Jan

I second what JennyLew said about the KIND of lettuce you are eating.  Iceberg lettuce is basically air and water, romaine lettuce or spinach has SO much more nutritional value.