Green Leafy Side Salad

For Wednesday, I tried a departure from the salad-only meal, combining a McDonald's side salad with a Quarter Pounder. I was hungry at lunch for more than a salad, and we had a family cookout planned for dinner; the side salad was my best option.

I was actualy quite impressed with the simple side salad from McDonald's. It had a variety of greens in the mix, more than I've seen in any other salad thus far. They provided a tasty mix of flavors and textures. I had to pass on the tomatoes. I plan to try some other varieties, but I was not ready during this meal. Also, I tried some ranch dressing on this salad. As I expected, I'm not crazy about it; the taste was okay when it got well-mixed with the other tastes, but I was rather unhappy to find dollops of ranch here and there!

Perhaps the most important lesson of this meal was the fact that my tummy can be satisfied by a burger and small salad. I do not need the fries to be full. I often tire of fries due to the frequency with which we eat fast food. The salad substitution gives me a good alternative and may even become my regular side. I know - still not incredibly healthy when eaten with a quarter pound of beef. But certainly a dietary improvement!

McDonald's Side Salad w/ Ranch Dressing: A surprising A-