I am on the South Beach Diet and I have a question regarding salads. How much salad can one eat? I usually have an extra large (4 cups) for lunch and then maybe 2 cups for dinner. I always use the right veggies and stick with creamy italian or Ranch dressing.

I appreciate any advice

It's pretty hard to overdo it on salad, as long as you aren't piling on high calorie toppings. As long as you aren't having issues with fiber, I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure that you are getting in other vegetables as well!

I have been low carb dieting 'my way' since February. I eat freely of salads containing lettuces and spinach,cukes and tomatoes, and toss in a chicken breast and shredded cheese to ensure calcium and proteins. On average, I eat a salad such as this 3 to 4 times a week. I use a creamy ceasar dressing, which is low in carbs....

The key to 'good' low carb dieting is proper balance. You don't SERIOUSLY plan on tossing down a 21 oz steak with that salad, do you? I know I sure wouldn't even if the book SAID I could! The important thing is making LIFE changes you can stick with- that will keep the weight off in the long run.

I'm not familiar with the South Beach Diet, but I can tell you the first four months of this year I was on the SlimFast Plan and was practically living on salads as my one (evening) meal. Is tofu allowed on your diet? For a bit of variety, adding some diced, flavoured tofu to your salad really gives it a kick.

I'm also a huge fan of steaming vegetables, perhaps you could substitute half your salad allowance for one meal with a side dish of steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or mixed greens.