I've not noticed any difference either way. Do what feels best for you (some people find that eating different things at different points in the day makes them feel better overall...other people don't notice any effect).
It's up to you, but I usually try to make sure my meals are balanced at every meal - 1/2 plate of vegetables, 1/4 plate of healthy complex carbohydrate, 1/4 plate of lean protein (with a little healthy fats with every meal - oil or nuts usually). I like vegetables with every meal because they are good for me and filling, I like protein with every meal because it helps me stay full.
Examples:
Vegetable (tons of veggies, a few cashews) stir fry with shrimp over brown rice
Home made pasta sauce with ground turkey, tomatoes, basil, shredded carrots/zucchini over whole wheat pasta
2 whole wheat tortillas, grilled with spinach and grilled chicken filling (mushrooms, onion, artichoke hearts, pine nuts) served with tons of salsa
I'd say this was personal choice. I know what works for me is that I *have* to have some kind of protein in the evening - but that's both because I work out in the evening and because I need it to get me through the night or I wake up starving in the morning.
OTOH, I often have a huge salad with protein for dinner - lots of dark greens, tomatoes, carrots, etc. and then top it with shrimp or sliced chicken breast or tuna or some kind of protein.
Well, I often have a salad for lunch and for dinner...but I almost always include a good protein source in the salads. I just love filling a bowl to overflowing with tons and tons of different veggies and then tossing in some firm tofu or roasted chicken, etc. It is my favorite meal! Actually, it has always been my favorite meal. It was the in-betweens, befores and afters that did me in...
Its best to have salad/vegetables for lunch and keep your 'heaviest' meal for dinner
Actually it's the other way around ... most conventional wisdom is that you should have your heaviest meal around mid-day and eat lightly in the evening. Having a heavy meal in the evening can cause restless sleep.
But truly I think this is another individual thing. People need to do whatever works for them best.
I think what you mean by salad, is important. And also worth mentioning that there's no reason that any meal has to be a salad, or even has to include a salad.
A salad can be very low in calorie (too low to even qualify as a "meal" at all) and conversely a salad can be as heavy or even heavier (in calories, protein, carbs and/or fat) than a typical fast food meal.
At my last doctor's visit, I complained to my doctor that I'm getting more fllares of the IBS, which I always get when I'm dieting, especially because of the number of salads I'm eating. He reminded me of what I already knew, that there's no weight loss magic in a salad.
Now I'm eating more cooked veggies (which don't seem to trigger the IBS as badly) and eating less of the lettuce and other veggies that seem to trigger flares (which is a bit of a bummer, since I love raw veggies and lettuce, especially the organic baby greens mix that Sam's sells - It's a HUGE box, but as cheap as a small bag in the regular grocery, but I end up eating too much because I hate to waste it).
I'd say what is "best" is what works for the individual. It is probably a little cultural in nature as well. Heavy dinners don't work for me. Neither do heavy lunches, actually! Healthy foods in appropriate portions seem to work for me.
As for salads and veggies, I eat them for both lunch and dinner (and I've been known to have veggies for breakfast and snacks too!). I don't limit my veggies. I also have a serving of protein whenever I eat (5-6 times a day).
Last edited by midwife; 09-29-2008 at 09:29 AM.
Reason: clarification
^^^ i agree, i try to eat protein at every meal, and most snacks. also, i eat veggies every meal. and i actually try to limit my starches to 1-2 servings a day. also, i try to consume the starches earlier in the day.
also, high carb-low fat meal, or high fat-low carb meal is a good point to remember. so i try to do the HC-LF meals early (pre-workouts) and LC-HF meals later (post-workouts).
Should I eat a salad for lunch or dinner?
I also have a serving of protein whenever I eat (5-6 times a day).
