Is this a healthy salad?

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I started an office job last November, and I've been noticing my weight increasing ever since. It isn't too bad yet, but I'd like to keep it from ever getting there. Everyone tells me I need to eat salads, but I don't really like salads. The only kind I've ever liked is one my mom used to make sometimes. It's made with broccoli, cauliflower, shredded cheddar cheese, and a packet of Hidden Valley ranch mix (over the entire thing, not just one serving). Would a salad like that even be healthy, though? Also, while I'm here, can anyone suggest some healthy things to eat BESIDES salad? I have a pretty big appetite, so I'd have to be able to eat a lot of it without gaining weight. Thanks!

When I read the title of this thread, my first thought before reading the actual thread was, "Probably so long as you don't drown the thing in dressing". Heh. Ranch dressing is awful for adding a ton of unnecessary calories. Though I do understand the why behind it... it's frickin delicious.

Why are people telling you to eat salads? Do you not eat enough fruits and vegetables? If you do like fruits and veggies, they can be a good thing to graze on throughout the day to help keep appetites in check. Plus they are good for you in general. And they are portable and ready to eat, which is always a bonus, imho.

Also curious, do you drink enough water? A lot of times people can be a little dehydrated and not know it so they eat more than they need to as a result. If you drink enough water to, that can curb some of the always hungry feel or at least help drop portion size... though I don't really know if portion size is a problem for you or not, so that might be irrelevant. If you don''t like water they have those flavor water packets you can add in... my daughter hates water but she likes it when she uses those flavor things, and it's helped her.

Are you looking for ready to eat prepackaged types of foods or do you plan to prepare the healthy meal options yourself? Also, what kinds of things do you normally eat? You might just be able to modify already existing food preferences and drop some weight by doing things like cutting the amount cheese you put on things in half or cutting out soda or something. Mostly though, I think when people want to lose weight, the best thing to do is move more. I have met a lot of people who eat so much food but because they are really active it doesn't matter at all.

Answering in order:
1. Honestly, I probably don't. I like fruits and vegetables, but don't ever eat them unless they're already in the dish I'm making.

2. I drink a ton of water every day. Like, I keep a water bottle at my desk at work and I'll drink the whole thing at least four times (refill it at each of my breaks). I also don't drink soda. I'll drink tea, lemonade, coffee, and juice, but if its carbonated I won't drink it.

3. I'd prefer they be prepackaged and microwavable, just because I don't really like cooking. I'll throw some meat in the crockpot sometimes, or use my George Foreman grill, but very rarely anything beyond that. I like to go out to eat a lot too, so I'll usually have McDonald's or Taco Bell once or twice a week (I can hear you now: "Theeere it is!"). When I'm at home I'll usually eat microwave meals or sandwiches. Lately I've taken a liking to Marie Callender's chicken pot pies. I've been eating beef balogna sandwiches with cheddar cheese and mayo too, but I'm going to switch for chicken once that runs out.

4. I'm not very active, haha. I used to be when I did lawn care for a living (I lost so much weight, that's only good thing I can say about that job), but now that I'm in a cubicle I don't get much chance to get up and do anything. My hobbies are reading, writing, and playing video games, which don't really require any physical activity. I walk my dog around the block at least twice a day, but that's it. I have an elliptical that I use now and then, but there just aren't enough hours in the day, you know?

You know? "Beef balogna sandwiches with cheddar cheese and mayo" made me think "And you are surprised you are gaining weight?". Beef = caloric bomb, cheese = caloric bomb, mayo=caloric bomb. Use one of those if you have to but not all at once. Or cut the amount.
BTW. Chicken has a lot of calories too, not as much as beef but still. Be careful.

I get you are a guy and guys like meat and fats but pay in mind you have office job - you sit on your bottom all day long. Most of the fat you eat stays in your body because you just don't have any chance to burn it out so you should avoid fatty food and eat more unprocessed fruits and vegetables (Marie Callender's chicken pot pie seems like a bad idea - I am not sure about the calorie count but looking at the picture makes me yell "Yuck, calorie bomb!").

I am naturally skinny and fail to gain enough weight to even fit into normal BMI range. But I am woman so you probably need a bit more calories as a man.

My breakfast contains 2 open sandwiches(or one closed sandwich) with for example:
- cheese, homemade sauce of natural yogurt mixed with with vinegar and sprouts or chips*,
- a slice of ham with a little bit of mayo,
- jam(without butter),
- butter and radish,
- cottage cheese sandwich spread.
- honey.

2nd breakfast is Bento made of 2 parts. I keep it in 2, small 200ml boxes (both containing equal amount of both parts, I eat 2nd breakfast twice) that I am able to swallow within 5-10 mins of break.
Base:
- potato,
- rice,
- bread,
- pasta,
- couscous(and other similliar stuff).
Salad(a mix of, all or just a few):
- homemade sauce of natural yogurt mixed with with vinegar,
- cottage cheese,
- cheese,
- tomato, cucumber, carrot and any vegetable I can find.
- ham,
- dry smoked sausage,
- chicken.
Basically whatever I can find at home, just in small amounts.

I try to keep it 50% base, 25% fats (meats, cheese, dressing etc), 25% vegetables.
If you are interested in Bentos: http://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-bento/

Dinner (only if I feel like it, sometimes I just skip):
- potatoes with sour milk,
- potatoes with salad,
- a soup,
- chicken wings/chicken steak,
- fish,
- french fries with ketchup,
- rice with chicken,
- salad: homemade sauce of natural yogurt mixed with with vinegar, chicken steak, crouton, chips*, tomato, lettuce, whatever I can find and feels like a good idea.

Supper:
- apple,
- tomato,
- salad: homemade sauce of natural yogurt mixed with with vinegar, chicken steak, crouton, chips*, tomato, lettuce, whatever I can find and feels like a good idea.
- sandwich like those at breakfast,
- yogurt,
- tomato juice.

*chips - I am aware it is unhealthy but I like chips, it's the only unhealthy food I eat and I use it as spice, not full meal.

Are there any other Aspies that can eat a plain salad--a salad with no calorie adding dressing? Matches my plain hamburgers.

Ironically, I need to gain weight, not lose it.

I don't like ranch dressing or creamy dressings, but I do love vinaigrette dressings and I like to put seasoning like sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and such for flavor. Also I like to sprinkle on a little bit of shredded cheese.

1) Use fat free dressing and low fat meat in your salads. Croutons are fattening - I cut those out and use a salad topping instead.

2) Juice has too much sugar in it.

3) Cut out the fast food. Marie Callendar is very fattening. Healthy Choice meals would be better if you go the microwave route. I also get low fat turkey from the deli. I don't eat the processed stuff anymore and I try to have the lowest fat mayo.

4) Some cardio and weight lifting is needed.

Think low fat, low carb, low sodium foods.

A few simple tweaks to help you:

Dont eat sugar. Period. Dont drink it either. Period. That one step alone will help you right off the bat. Don't just assume since it's 'fruit juice' it's ok. It's not. It's concentrated sugar bomb. Usually with high fructose corn syrup too. So nix that like now. Water only. Unsweetened tea is just fine as well. Maybe with a little honey, or agave syrup, or a small amount of coconut sugar to sweeten it if you have to... but try to not do that and discipline yourself to not need 'taste drinks'.

Minimal pre-prepared or fast foods. Obviously we all do it sometimes. But barely ever use the drive thru or have microwaved frozen foods. They are loaded with extra sodium which will make you badly retain water, not to mention seem injected with extra calories just because. If you want a burger, go to the store, get chop meat and fry a 4oz portion at home. You don't have to stop eating everything you like. Dramatic changes rarely stick. Especially when you don't adapt well to change. Which is an assumption on my part, but posting at WP makes that a fair probability...

Smaller portions. Your meat should be about 4oz. with a comperable amount of vegetables. Very small amount of carb. Don't eat until your full, eat until your satisfied and wait. You can always eat a little more if it wasn't enough. The point isn't to even start losing weight at first, but to modify your habits slowly so you can actually adapt as opposed to get discouraged.

And you must be active. I used to always just walk and hike, thinking it's enough, but weights do help. Not just for aesthetics but to burn fat. I'd have been doing it much longer if I realized that. So do some weights a little bit. If that's too much start with at least a 45min walk everyday at a decently fast pace.

Also if you drink alcohol, especially beer, cut down or stop (I can't do this one at all, but at least I'm a vodka drinker only)

It's not easy to lose weight but you'll feel better. I'm fat but way less fat lately. I went from 285 to 240 since May while actually gaining a little muscle underneath all this blubber... I didn't really do much more than what I just told you. Good luck man!

hmm. the whole point about salads is they're mainly water and fibre. you could try mixing some sliced kale, some lettuce, tomato and parsley with a balsamico vinegar olive oil dressing. you can fill up on that, and have whatever you want after- just nake sure the bulk of the volume comes from non-starchy vegetables.
feelingsatiated is a physical response to your stomach feeling stretched, that's the idea behind salad.

my secret to eat salad and health things is just eating them together with meat. The taste of the meat will make the salad tolerable. Good dressings gave special and good taste to salads, like italian dressing and others.

I like plain whole milk yogurt, and rice vinegar on a salad. All salad dressing I have ever seen is junk.

Nutrient dense foods. Cannot say that enough.

Calories are a strange idea. Foods with a high glycemic index are said to be good, but when someone puts things like agave nectar high on the chart, I question that idea too.

Low to no carb, low to no sugar, high fat, high protien, and insoluable fibers.

Ketosis. The american diet does not run on it, and it should at least some of the time. It is enherent in human life.

I am lean, and cannot gain weight, soo I cannot say it works for me for loosing weight, but when I don't eat right, I have many issues. Sugar, and carbs are not my friend.

Sorry this is late, I'm new here. But, if you want my opinion on salads, the one your mother makes seems...okay-ish, but if you are going to use ranch, you might want to try a low fat buttermilk, or one with cucumbers mixed in with the dressing. Also, use the cheddar in moderation. A little bit goes a LONG way. I like white cheddar better though, for me, as it tastes more "natural" and flavorful. But blue cheese also is a decent option (still not fantastic nutrition-wise, but better than cheddar, or maybe kinda the same... ) Feta is good if you can handle the taste of goat cheese, but my PERSONAL favorite is shredded Parmesan. It is an Italian cheese that has (usually) been slightly aged, but it is NOT moldy like blue or Gorgonzola (another type of blue cheese...Has a teal mold). For other dressings try balsamic, Italian, etc. They taste authentic, and they are half the calories of ranch and blue cheese.

If you need any more help on "salad advice" let me know. Make sure your salad is colorful with veggies. Brings out the flavor, and makes things look really attractive (you might not want to eat it, and just marvel your mastery skills, like *I* do!!

*I am the QUEEN of salad making. I make beautiful ones for my family almost every night, and they love it. I never fail to impress people with my talents, and thankfully I learned how to cook from my mom and my dad. Even guests are pleased. Anything for the ones I love. I personally find cooking to be QUITE fun!! *

Also, have you tried using spinach leaves, romaine, or slightly crispy red and green lettuce? Those might be good bases for you to start with before you add any ingredients to your salad (...And to myself, I will now say-"Thank you, Captain Obvious... ) They taste better than iceberg, and are really healthy for you, too!!m Hope this helps.

(Ignore that birthdate. I am ACTUALLY 19, in college, a freshman, and LOVIN' IT!! )

*Apples, especially the bigger ones. Also, yogurt with REAL fruit in it, dark chocolate, which has antioxidants in it and I think, helps fight cancer? Cherries, and peaches, bananas, crackers with peanut butter, trail mix, dried fruit, Cheerios...Even though babies like it, I'm a full-grown girl and I love the taste. Carrots, almonds, etc.*