I have a goal to lose some weight. I just started a jogging routine. I’m relatively thin, I just have a few trouble spots jogging would take care of. I have always been a healthy eater. My question is, I like eating salads for lunch, but I like to spice it up a bit. So, would adding 1 oz. of feta cheese (80 cals), 2 tbsp. light dressing (50), 1 tbsp. of craisins (30) and 1 tbsp. of shaved almonds (40) be ok to eat in a salad mixed w/3 oz. grilled chicken? The total calories come to about 300. Thanks. Nicole. [via Ask Questions]

Is it a good idea to eat a salad for weight loss? Of course it is. Does eating a salad aid weight loss? Yes and no. It all depends on what you put in your salad. Some salads are so overloaded with calories that they can actually help you gain weight. One of the diet tricks that could be helpful in a situation like that is known as calorie shifting, but it was not designed for this purpose.

In your case, however, you have nothing to worry about. First of all, it is great that you are looking for ways to make your salad interesting; most people stop eating salads because they get bored easily eating the same thing over and over again.

Second, what you want to add to your salad is nutritionally sound – good fats, some carbs and protein – what is not to love? As for the total number of calories, at around 300 calories your salad is still low in calories.