A salad may be filled with low-cal veggies, but as soon as you start adding protein, cooked veggies, nuts, seeds, avocado, and dressing, your salad can quickly turn into a 900-calorie meal! If you're trying to lose weight, registered dietitians Stephanie Clarke, MS, RDN, and Willow Jarosh, MS, RDN, of C&J Nutrition told POPSUGAR your lunchtime salad should be in the 400- to 450-calorie range.
All you need to do is watch your portions of the higher-calorie foods, such as cooked whole grains, cheese, protein like beans, and oils from salad dressing. Then increase the amount of lower-calorie ingredients, like fresh veggies, and use fresh herbs and vinegar for added flavour. Use a food scale to measure out ingredients so you know for sure exactly what the calorie count is.