The other day I watched a woman (in her early 30s) with a newborn & toddler in tow. She was chatting with her friends about trying to lose her excess baby weight.
Her weight loss idea was to order a “loaded salad” because it‘s low in calories. Or so she thought.
Take a look at what she added to her plate. Hmmm, not so low calorie! Might you make the same choices — and be confused on the bathroom scale a day or two later?
- 4 cups mixed salad greens — cal: 38 carb: 7
- 3 cucumber slices — cal: 4 carb: 1
- 2 bell pepper rings — cal: 4 carb: 1
- 3 raw onion rings — cal: 7 carb: 2
- 3 cherry tomatoes — cal: 9 carb: 2
- 2 boiled egg “quarters” — cal: 39 carb: 0
- 2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese — cal: 49 carb: 1
- 4 tbsp ranch dressing — cal: 290 carb: 4 (2 ladles)
Salad:
Calories: 440
Carb: 18 grams
Protein: 11 grams
Fat: 38 grams
Might you guess her “low carb” salad at 4-5 carbs — and not the actual 18? Would you probably also guess your “diet” salad at about 200 calories — not the actual 440?
Her husband also made a salad and added more items (it was a huge salad!)
For a visual reminder 1/4 cup is half of a tiny jello cup:
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese — calories: 54 carb: 1
- 1/4 cup kidney beans — calories: 54 carb: 10
- 1/4 cup potato salad — calories: 65 carb: 9
- 1/4 cup shredded beets — calories: 15 carb: 4
- 3 broccoli florets — calories: 11 carbs: 2
- 1 tablespoon bacon bits — calories: 33 carbs: 2
- 6 croutons — calories: 7 carb: 1
What if they each added 6-piece chicken wings as a “light“ snack:
Wings + Ranch Dressing (typical 2 oz plastic container)
Calories: 731
Carb: 4 grams
Protein: 37 grams
Fat: 31 grams
Salad + Wings + Dressing
Calories: 1171
Carb: 22 grams
Protein: 48 grams
Fat: 69 grams
Salad + Extras + Wings
Calories: 1408
Carb: 51 grams
Protein: 72 grams
Fat: 77 grams
Don’t fall into the Salad Bar Danger Zone! Be smart about dressing calories and plan ahead. Bring packets of your own low calorie brand (Walden Farms 0 calorie honey mustard) or ask the restaurant to offer a type that fits your Kimkins weight loss diet guidelines.
Know what you’re choosing or you’re setting yourself up for an unintentional weight loss stall.
