Salads & bowls: why “healthy food” can quietly break your deficit

A salad sounds like the perfect “diet meal”. In real life, salads and bowls are one of the most common reasons people accidentally overshoot — because calories hide in things that don’t feel like “real food”.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the usual leaks and how to keep it tasty without overthinking.

The biggest leaks in salads & bowls

• Oil and dressings
  One tablespoon of oil is roughly +100–130 kcal. Two tablespoons can be a whole snack.

• “Tasty base” sauces
  Caesar, cheese dressing, honey mustard, teriyaki — often fat + sugar.

• Cheese and crunchy add-ons
  Feta/parmesan/cheddar, croutons, breading — calories add up fast.

• Nuts/seeds/avocado
  Great foods, but calorie-dense. A small handful of nuts can be “half a dessert” in calories.

How to build a salad that supports your goal

1. Ask for dressing on the side
   Add half first. This is the easiest lever.

2. Keep protein, control add-ons
   Chicken/tuna/eggs/tofu add satiety. Cheese/nuts/croutons are best measured “by intent”.

3. Pick one fatty topping, not three
   Example: avocado or nuts or cheese — not all at once.

How to apply this with NutriAI

• After the photo, don’t forget to mark oil/sauce/drink — otherwise the estimate will be consistently low.
• If your portion is bigger/smaller, use 0.5× / 1× / 1.5×.

Related reads:

• Hidden calories: oil, sauces and drinks
• Oil & sauces at home: counting without a scale

See what’s included in Pro: / #pro.