I was dying for a salad for sooooo long. I hadn't had one since before mother's day (my last day before I started pre-op liquids). I thought I would never be the same without salad. I have been doing pretty well with most everything I have had a taste for thus far, and tonight I got up the nerve to have a salad. Hubby wanted hot wings from Zaxby's, so I ordered a side salad and a single chicken finger. I cut up the chicken finger and ate it first. I had room for three bites (small bites) of salad, and then I was just completely disappointed. I don't care for it because it seems so empty and useless. And now I am hungry after about an hour. Has anyone else concluded that salad is just a waste of our time or do you still enjoy it? I would rather single out a couple of my favorite veggies and have that with my protein. The lettuce is just not useful. Although I think I will try some baby spinach next time and see if it's better. What are your thoughts on salad?

Loved it before surgery and still love it mixed with chicken or tuna.

I think it's just surprising to me that my tastes have changed so much. I think I just lost my "obsession" with salad. Wow. It was the only healthy habit I had before surgery, haha...but I have also lost my taste for bacon, and I am now in love with melon of any kind. Before surgery I wouldn't have eaten cantaloupe or honeydew unless I was being held captive and that is all I had. Now I am in love with honeydew! I think what I have learned is that if I am not passionate about it and/or it isn't good for me, then it's just not a part of the way I eat anymore. Interesting. I am so grateful for this tool. It has helped me to make changes I never thought possible.

I tend to stay away from lettuce....it really doesn't have much nutritional value and I'd rather not waste tummy space with it...lol

My thoughts exactly!

@@justhere4theshow The changes are very interesting, aren't they? My biggest weakness pre-surgery was baked goods...cupcakes, Cookies, cakes, pies...anything sweet. Now I don't even think about those (thankfully!) I like to add romaine, celery, onion and pickle to tuna or chicken with greek yogurt or light mayo. I can only get down about 1/4 cup, but the additions to the Protein make it not so boring and give it some texture.

I also don't enjoy salads like I used to. Find that cooked veg are easier for me to eat and enjoy. Steamed or sauteed zucchini, summer squash , asparagus are my go to veg right now.

I'm like that with everything. I would get all excited, get my hopes up and then 2-3 bites later I'm full. Why bother? I eat what I need and move on. One less thing to think about.

For me, salad is a slider. No restriction at all. I can eat a massive amount of greens, I usually have a 50/50 mix of spinach and european greens. I eat about 85 grams at a time, that is 3 cups roughly.

I find it to be awesome. I have 2 salads like that a day pretty often. It is a great "snack" and the only way I can get my greens in. I need the Fiber and a huge volume amount of salad greens are 20 calories. 20 Calories for a HUGE bowl. I use calorie free dressing or I just use seasonings.

I didn't add salad in as a regular part of my diet until about 9 months.

20 calories, 3 cups. It is the only time you get to eat a large volume post op and it is basically no calories.

Don't discount salad, when you can eat more it is can be very mentally satisfying.

I am still trying to get to the pound of veggies a day that Dr Matthew Weiner suggests.

BTW Lettuce has basically no nutritional value, I never ate it before surgery so I won't start now. I have always been a baby spinach lover.

Edited August 16, 201610 yr by OutsideMatchInside

Nope. I was never a big salad person -- I like meat. And now, I find that I don't really care for it, and I am so cautious about not getting stringy sorts of greens/raw vegetables. So, pretty much, I have a couple of bits of arugula every now and then, and that's just about the only raw vegetable I eat.

My life is pretty much charcuterie and cheeses. :-)

When I asked my NP about ssalad at about 6 months out, she asked me what I missed. I told her it was the crunch/flavor variety of the sweet peppers, spicy onions, cukes, olives, radish, etc. She told me to go to the market sala!d bar and make a serving of toppings and have at it!

I could only eat a little but is was exactly what I wanted. Now, three years out, I'm still doing the same.

Luckily, salad is a slider for me too... i am 3 months out and i always have some sort of salad or veg with my Protein... i take 2 small bites of salad, to each bite of protein... but i don't use the standard salad mix... i add things like spinach/arugula, radish, tomato, olives, cucumber, peppers, feta cheese, avocado etc

This way i am getting Vitamins and actual nutrition as well.

I eat a lot of salads, mostly the prepared leafy salads from Trader Joe's, as a low-calorie, healthy lunch. I enjoy them. Most of them have some skinless chicken breast or soybeans in them for Protein, but I also really like their curried cauliflower and kale salad.

I also eat a fair number of the prepared legume salads - black bean, chickpea, and edamame, from Cedar's for lunch - good low cal protein and oodles of soluble Fiber.

I do enjoy salads so very much! Oh how I've missed them and now that I'm on a regular diet, I have been eating cucumber salads, fattoush, tabouli, kale salads and I'm loving it. I eat them in between meals currently.

Love salads. Have them for dinner almost everyday. Add all kinds of healthy goodies to them. Great for keeping me regular.

I love salads but I try not to have salads too often since there is no Protein and protein is a priority. I get salads when I eat out or when I want a break from vegetable soup/chicken. I substitute spinach for lettuce and skip the dressing.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App