Salad Bar Economics

Um, is it illegal to take pictures of magazines and post them on a blog?  At least I will cite the pictures and tell you they are directly from the September issue of Food Network.

Anyways another thing I love about going to my parents house is reading the latest issue of Food Network.

What did I learn yesterday while reading?

How to maximize my salad bar creations to get the best bang for my buck.  I think I need to write an article for their next issue on how to create a salad mountain so tall that the table next to you asks how in the world one person can eat that many servings of vegetables at one time…….pure talent.

For salad bars that charge by the lb, the toppings that are the best deal for you to throw on are: Bleu cheese, bacon, cheddar cheese, peas, walnuts, chicken and cranberries.

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The foods that are still a good deal but not as good as the ones above are broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, chow mein noodles, avocado, croutons, olives and pepperoncini.

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And the toppings that you should just go to the store, buy and store in your purse to throw on your salad because they are way more expensive by weight are radishes, beets, chickpeas, celery, eggs, mandarin oranges, green beans and cucumbers.

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Sorry if I bored the junk out of you with that but I spend my free time figuring out how I can make Billy proud with a $7 salad charge on my credit card statement rather than the normal $13 charge.

In other news I stopped counting how many peaches I ate today after the third one.

Photo on 8 28 11 at 1 52 PM  3

Training and Didn’t Cut it Pages are UPDATED!

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Where is your favorite salad bar?

What is your ALL time favorite salad topping?

-Cottage cheese.

What is the most random thing in your purse/bag/backpack right now?

-Golf balls to roll out my feet on but I think I might have to stock up on the chickpeas, oranges and celery in my purse for my next trip to the salad bar.

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56 comments

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I love sunflower seeds on my salads and I recently have been adding strawberries. Yum! The most random thing in my purse right now is a hotwheels car and a tinkerbell figurine. The life of a mommy.

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You are tooo cute with your love of peaches!!!

My fav salad bar is Sweet Tomatoes. I love avocado on salad!

Most random thing in my purse is 2 rings, 3 sets of earrings, and a necklace (never know when you need to dress an outfit up) … I know- jewelry isn’t too random, I have surprisingly been quite organized with my purse this summer!

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This post rules– I definitely think the salad bar requires a cost-effective game-plan! Now I know which foods to avoid, and which ones to go for!
My favorite salad bar topping is either chickpeas or marinated cherry peppers! Fogo de Chao (the very expensive Brazilian steakhouse chain) has an awesome salad bar with the best pickled and marinated veggies. Even though I’m a vegetarian and its a steakhouse, the salad bar itself makes for a pretty epic veggie meal!

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I love Annie’s Naturals Cheddar Bunnies on my salad. Yes – same idea as the goldfish, but somehow I think bunnies and plants go together better. :) I also love sugar snap peas, sprouts, and pumpkin seeds.

Nothing too weird in my purse except for a pair of nose clips for swimming. I put them in my purse to remind myself to get them into my swim bag!

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So true about those foods! Hard boiled eggs are so heavy and add up!! Thanks for the advice.

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I’m so glad you posted this because now I’ll definitely have to start hardboiling my own eggs and stashing chickpeas at work…

My favorite salad bar is the one at Gelsons. Nothing special but it’s super close to my work. And my favorite salad toppings are hardboiled eggs and cilantro. Odd combo but delicious!

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My salad musts include craisins, almonds, avocado and/ or guacamole, feta, egg whites, salsa, edamame, tortilla chips, pears, basil, olive oil, pesto, balsamic strawberries, blueberries, sesame noodles, cauliflower… And others. Boy do I love salad!

I like Chopt here in NYC- it’s pricy but delish!

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I am not a cottage cheese fan. But I love salsa on my salads. Or dried cherries and a red wine vinaigrette. Or bacon. :P

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The most random thing in my bag right now is an exacto knife, which is NOT good because I’m a teacher and shouldn’t have something like that on campus. Thankfully I wasn’t there today and am taking it NOW :)

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First off i love your blog thank you so much for all your posts, i love them. Hey question what kind of bike do you have. I have been running for over two years and have a stress fracture, big bummer, but what do ya do, go on right. But i would like to start biking more and am looking into buying a bike without breaking the bank, what suggestions do you have. Thanks Joyce

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HEY JOYCE!!! Thank you so so much for your comment and I am SO SO SO SO SORRY about your stress fracture!! If you ever need to email, I am your woman!! My bike is a Specialized Allez Triple and it was NOT crazy expensive but has been incredible!!! Billy uses the Cannondale CAAD10!! Email me if you have more questions….I am praying you get better ASAP!!

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Favorite salad bar item: chickpeas…although I guess now that I know they’re on the outrageously marked up list, I’ll have to forgo.
I’m not cool enough to carry a purse – it’s a diaper bag all the way! And I just looked and found a packet of Guilden’s Spicy Mustard. No freakin’ clue.

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Great post! My fave salad topping would be walnuts or dried cranberries :)

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I wonder how goldfish would rank? ;)

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Ironic! I’m eating a salad bar salad right now. I had some of everything on each of the lists. $6.50 total–not bad.

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that’s really helpful actually, because I usually buy a salad at work for lunch!

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The Food Network magazine is a must read at my house. It’s like getting an early Christmas present every month. Pretty sure I need to make their PB&J desserts ASAP!!

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OH MY GOODNESS!!! I want to make that pb and j tart SO BAD!!! Let me know what you end up making:)

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I am a nerd read, and re-read your food network tips. looved it!

I love sunflower seeds on my salads right now.

I literally just checked the purse, most random was post its.

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That was actually really interesting! I buy veggies from the salad bar a lot at the grocery store when I just need them cut up and for one recipe!

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This is super helpful information! Thanks for sharing.

My favorite salad topping is bleu cheese crumbles.

I am a mom, so I have a ton of weird stuff in my purse all the time. I just looked and the weirdest now is one earring that I have been carrying in there for weeks don’t know what happened to the other, but haven’t taken this one out.

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My favorite topping is avacado. I love the nutty taste of it. Then I’d have to say bacon. can’t go wrong with those!

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I like all the heavy stuff on my salads… Have you also noticed that the fruit toppings for froyo are way heavier than all the chocolate and cereal?! It’s an outrage!!!

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um best salad bar is DEF WHOLE FOODS for me even though it is SO EXPENSIVEEE…hate that fact!
but most random thing in my purse = plastic wrap…because i was plastic wrapping my knee for a while over night when it was really hurting. hahahaha don’t laugh i know its weird
love youuu<3

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I love hummus from salad bars!!

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I love the salad bar at the Teet (*Harris Teeter*) :) Guess what, a lot of my favorite toppings are on the beware list- go figure… Broccoli, mushrooms, egg, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, peas, and sprouts!

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Favorite salad bar is Whole Foods!!
You should do a post like this about how to get the best bang for your buck at the fro yo bar.

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That is brilliant…….expect that post shortly! Thanks Rachelle!

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I love corn on my salad, and black beans and peppers (been on a fiesta salad kick lately!) But I now want to try cottage cheese. I love eating the cottage cheese with pineapple in it, so I might even try that. My 2-year old has been into salads lately, but his favorite topping is just ranch!

Most random thing in my purse is soccer socks for my 10-year-old studly soccer playing son!

I am now going to the store for cottage cheese, and peaches! :)

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My favorite salad bar place is Sweet Tomatoes and/or Jason’s Deli’s salad bar…tough choice between the two!

Favorite salad toppings: candied nuts and fruit!

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Your necklace is super cute in the last picture! I’ve been going crazy on peaches before they’re out of season. :) I love roasted veggies on my salad the most..I think! I love salads way too much to really decide. I’ve never tried cottage cheese on a salad though..I’m intrigued!

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that salad bar info is awesome!! i always feel like i should be annoyed when i top off with a bunch of cucumbers, since they’re obviously heavier. but the “better for your money” ones, i wouldn’t have guessed.

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This post just made me hungry! Favorite salad bar topping is sunflower seeds. I never but them but when I see them at the salad bar I just have to get them!
Random purse item = a bunch of spoons. I eat food in the car all the time (when hubby drives!) clean the spoon and put in back in my bag. I know, it’s gross!
:)

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Feta! That’s the best salad topper.

I cleaned my purse out today…but there was nine pens in there. What, am I writing a novel?

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Fave salad topper is bleu cheese…the creaminess and tang just seem like a luxe salad topping! Gotta have dried cranberries too!! I don’t know if I really have anything strange in my purse right now – just the standard – I Pod, wallet, 96 lip glosses, at least 3 flavors of gum and sunglasses!

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Whole Foods, for sure. Choosing a favorite topping is like choosing a favorite child!!! Feta or Goat cheese or blue cheese or apples or string beans or marinated onions…..
My purse is also a diaper bag soooo, probably lanolin boob wipes. Sounds strange now, but wait till you have a baby!! They’re heavenly.

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I love Chuck E. Cheese and Souplantation’s salad bars!! They really know how to hook it up!! :)

I love raisins in my salads and mandarin oranges!! :)

My purse…two cars and super glue. :)

luv ya xo!!

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holy smokes! i need to take a lesson from this. my salads always have way too many cucumbers and chickpeas on them! no wonder salad bar nights put a major dent in my pocket!

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haha i read that too! some surprised me, but others I kind of figured were way crazy/

most random: an IV start kit. I forgot to empty my pockets after work the other day (i’m a nurse)

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That article rocks. By the lb tips – CRAZY GENIUS!!!

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Sunflower seeds and cottage cheese on my salad speak to me!

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Hahah thanks for the tips..funny how the ‘cheaper’ toppings like chickpeas and eggs are actually more expensive in salad bars! I love adding hot meals on top my salad which is why I go to town in Whole Foods- option of both! Refried black beans as a salad topper- don’t knock it till u try it!

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I love the Whole Foods salad bar, but it’s so expensive!! And since chickpeas are one of my fave toppings, I’ve clearly been doing this all wrong.

I don’t even want to know what is in my purse right now. I do know that there is one winter glove still in there. Might come in handy (ha! get it) in a few months… why it is in there and where the other one is are things I will never know.

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I agree with Rachelle that you must do one with Fro-you toppings! I am coming to the states in a couple weeks and am most excited for self-serve frozen yogurt, Target, and Mexican food!

Favorite Salad toppings are cottage cheese + salsa, black beans, red onions, and finely chopped broccoli

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LOL so the nutrition student in me thinks its hilarious that the “best”/cheapest items to put on the salad are the ones dieticians always tell you to NOT put on lol!!

My favorite salad bar is Whole Foods and as I’m sure you know, um, the better question is what DOESN’T go on my salad there?? I take a sample of everything.

Most random thing in my purse….I keep packets of Truvia in my purse cuz I have an iced coffee addiction but also really bad stomach reactions to artificial sweeteners. So I guess not random for me but everyone else thinks its weird haha!

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What is your ALL time favorite salad topping?- does pasta count? i ask for it on the side like dressing.. if so pasta is my favorite salad topper :)

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PASTA DEFINITELY COUNTS…..dang, that is an amazing salad topper!

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GREAT article…and blog! Unfortunately my favorite topping is on the beware list – fresh mushrooms! Guess I can start carrying around a package in my purse…lol

xoxo from Trinidad

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That’s actually really interesting. It never occurred to me that different items on the salad bar would have differnet mark-ups. Sadly, the things I love the most are the things that have the worst bang for your buck!

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Jason’s Deli is my favorite salad bar! UNLIMITED for $7.99. That’s where it’s at.

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Any salad bar at Wegmans (same as like Whole Foods, big grocery store with eating area), because the produce is always fresh and there are a ton of options.

Cottage cheese is my favorite, too. And peas!

I have tennis balls in my purse for the same reason! haha

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Good to know, it is funny – everytime I go to a salad bar, I can never believe how expensive they are, and at least now I can have some piece of mind that some components are worth paying for :)

The most random thing in my purse right now would probably be my bodyglide…lol…it doubles as blister prevention and if I walk a lot in my sandals I need to use a little!

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Bodyglide is ALWAYS a good thing to have around. I will be copying you and putting mine in my purse…THANKS!

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This is my new favorite blog post for so many reasons!! Things I love: salad bars, saving money, being informed, and funny blog posts. :) Thanks for making my google reader page tonight!

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