this may sound stupid but just what is the best way to measure lettuce until my new digital food measuring scales arrive?
Saying two cups of salad greens doesn't mean too much if one is using Romaine lettuce where a two-cup meauring cup will only hold a handful of torn bite-size pieces unless you cram them down. If you cram them in (and ruin the crunchiness) you could probably get a head and a half in a two-cup measure.
Any suggestions?

Lettuce is so low carb that it would be really hard to overdo it. Just kind of 'look' at the lettuce when ready to dress and guess what 2 cups would be. It's not that critical. Other veggies matter more. And note that many sites, like fitday.com, make a big difference between cooked and raw veggies because they do fit into a cup differently.

Suggestion ... be willing to sacrifice 2 cups of torn romaine ... pack it into the cup measure and then into your salad bowl. Then gauge how full is the salad bowl with the 2 packed cups and use that as a rough guide for future measuring. One member found that 2 packed cups of torn lettuce filled an old Cool Whip container perfectly. From then on, she just used the Cool Whip container, and no more need to squish the lettuce


hth,

Doreen

was thinking that would be the best answer.
I know it has few carbs but I'm trying very hard to stay below 20 each day and it seems as though a little extra salad dressing or some condiment is always forcing the totals up and up.
I tried just meat, chicken and pork for a day or two but stalled right out with no carbs at all.

You can stretch the dressing without adding carbs by just using some olive oil. Put the oil on first and toss the lettuce (it's called fatiguing the lettuce in culinary circles) then add the usual amount of dressing - or less - and toss. No carbs in olive oil & it makes the other dressing cover the lettuce better. I do that with the Renee's Extreme Cheese and also the Mighty Caesar flavour. YUM! Great for blue cheese and ranch too.

Thanks lasert for your clever suggestion. I hate to admit this, but I have been measuring my romaine as is. Oh well, you live and learn.

Don't forget that "2 cups of salad" isn't just lettuce. If you read through the list of allowed salad vegetables, you'll see cucumbers, mushrooms, bell peppers, celery, chives, parsley, fresh herbs, radishes, fennel, jicama, olives, sprouts and bok choy as well as the usual varieties of lettuce. These are all very low in carbs, and provide a little extra fiber.


Doreen

then add dressing.........GREAT Idea. Thanks
also makes me realize I can probably join friends eating at an Italian restaurant because I can order the large antipasto and regulate my own oil and vinegar with the cruettes. Offhand, I can't think of anything in a good antipasto that would be much of a problem.