What this tool does
Salads fail logs because the bowl looks virtuous. This builder prices the dressing and the fried topping separately from the leaves.
How it works
Greens are cheap. Two tablespoons of ranch is ~140 kcal. Chicken adds protein with modest energy. Croutons are bread.
How to interpret the result
Garden + chicken + vinaigrette can be a high-protein 250–350 kcal lunch. Caesar base + Caesar dressing + croutons + cheese is a pasta-adjacent meal.
Example
Garden, chicken, vinaigrette, no extras: often ~245 kcal and ~28 g protein. Swap ranch and cheese and you add ~220 kcal.
Common mistakes
- Logging “salad” at 100 kcal because it was green.
- A ladle of dressing counted as two tablespoons.
- Candied nuts and dried fruit forgotten.
When this estimate may be off
- Restaurant “salads” that are fried chicken on a bed of cheese.
- Smoothie-bowl cousins with granola.