Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

[burtonator]

Should I be spreading out my veggies? The book says 2 cups a day but I'm thinking that if I have 2-3 cups in a large salad for lunch that I'll increase my blood sugar.

Should I spread the 2-3 cups across breakfast/lunch/dinner?

Kevin

[FightingTheFight]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Its better to spread your veggies out through the day. I'll eat a few mushrooms for breakfast, my sald veggies for lunch and maybe a little bit at dinner.

Its been said, its better to have breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a peasent or something like that. In otherwords, eat more in the morning and less in the evening.

[loser4life]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

I thought it was 4 cups per day...hmmm, I thought 3 cups salad veggies(lettuce) and one cup of the others or 4 cups of the salad veggies? Where did i get that? I am pretty sure that is what the atkins site says right now....

[Effie]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Nope, 2 cups of salad veggies plus one cup other veggies OR 3 cups salad veggies. Dunno where you got the 4 cups from... maybe you've been over in the OWL forums?

[Effie]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Burtonator - if you can spread out your veggies, that's better. I wouldn't worry about eating them all at once occasionally though. Just make sure you're eating a high fat dressing with that salad, which will help dull the blood sugar spike.

[Finelly]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Just remember that each meal should have fat and protein. You can have a salad for lunch, but add meat or egg.

I spread my veggies over late morning thru dinner. 2 cups of spinach for one meal or snack, sauteed in olive oil until just wilted, topped with feta is my favorite pre-lunch snack. And I usually have zuchini or something fried in butter with my dinner.

[Iapetus999]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

I have salad for lunch pretty much every day and then have some kind of other veggie at dinner like green beans, snap peas, asparagas, or more salad.

Salad salad salad!!

No salad for breakfast

[sidrah]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

I usually have cut up vegetables and some dip/dressing. So, I guess I have salad for lunch, too. But, I don't make a huge salad with all vegetables. I'd prefer tomato and jicima and cucumber chunks anyway, so that way I just have some and know how much left for dinner is available.

Breakfast is usually tuna, so unless I use veggies as dippers, I don't have any there

[Debra Gara]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Hi everyone,

I am new and will post an introduction shortly. I just wanted to jump in and say that I have printed the Ten Easy Steps to Induction from the Atkin's website and it states that you should eat at least four cups of salad vegetables, or three cups of salad vegetables plus one cup of other vegetables (from the list of acceptable foods) per day.

Debra

[Effie]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Hi everyone,

I am new and will post an introduction shortly. I just wanted to jump in and say that I have printed the Ten Easy Steps to Induction from the Atkin's website and it states that you should eat at least four cups of salad vegetables, or three cups of salad vegetables plus one cup of other vegetables (from the list of acceptable foods) per day.

Debra

Hi Debra. Welcome to We are strictly by the book (DANDR - 2002) in this forum, so you want to make sure that you're only eating 3 cups of veggies total. The Atkins website is wrong. I looked into this, and they have totally contradicted themselves as well as the good Doctor. On their "Rules of Induction" page, here: http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-325810.html they have it right.

3. Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, most of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. You can eat approximately three loosely packed cups of salad, or two cups of salad plus one cup of other vegetables (see Acceptable Foods).

But then, you're right, in their "Ten Easy Steps to Induction" list here: http://atkins.com/Archive/2004/12/27-833156.html , they changed it:

3. Eat about 20 grams of carbs each day, mostly in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. You should eat at least four cups of salad vegetables, or three cups of salad vegetables plus one cup of other vegetables (see the Acceptable Vegetables List).

Not only have the numbers changed, but it makes me angry that they say "at least 4 cups of salad veggies". I'm sure 4 cups of salad veggies won't kill you, but the point is that the atkins website has taken a brilliant idea and totally destroyed it. If you can, get a copy of DANDR 2002 and skip the website altogether. It'll just confuse you.

[Debra Gara]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Thanks,

I do have the book from my previous go at Atkins but with the website being more current, I thought they updated their allowances.

Oh well if you follow the book and not the website..... 3 cups it is.

Debra

[windowrx]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Could the difference be they are now calculating Net Carbs after subtracting for fiber and such?

[burtonator]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Yeah.. I agree. The website sux. There are a couple of pages there with recipes for induction which contain 25 grams of carbs! ug.

Just read the book. It will seriously help you. I weighed myself today after going on a clean atkins diet for 4 days now and lost 3 lbs. A bit too aggressive for me but I'll take it. Hope its not a fluctuation. .. I know I'm supposed to stay off the scales but I was too curious.

Kevin

[not2late]

Re: Is salad for lunch a bad idea?

Here's the problem with their "4 cups of salad" recommendation.... A couple of the "salad veggies" have 5 net carbs per cup or nearly 4 net carbs per cup, so 5 x 4 = 20 = your daily allowance of carbs. This means that if you eat these 4 cups, you'll be stuck eating protein the rest of the day---no eggs (they have carbs), no cheese (that has carbs), no decaf coffee or tea (they have carbs), no artificial sweeteners (1 carb per packet), no cream (it has carbs), no "Special Category foods" like olives, avocadoes, etc.

See, in their haste to "update" the diet, they neglected to double check the food lists and have made the mistake of believing that "salad" is synonymous with "lettuce".

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/index.html