Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Would you find this sufficient for lunch?

261 replies

LottyD32 · 28/03/2022 17:01

A small m&s side salad.

I saw someone have this and this alone for their lunch, and imply anything more is greedy.

I suspect competitive undereating*, but do you think this is tiny/normal/lots? I'd be bloody starving 5 minutes later 😂

*Unfortunately I've worked with a few of these in the past and just roll my eyes.

Would you find this sufficient for lunch?
OP posts:
SirChenjins · 28/03/2022 17:03

That’s ok as a side - definitely wouldn’t fill me up if I had that for my entire lunch! Did they sneak off to the loo afterwards with a Snickers tucked up their sleeve?

RJnomore1 · 28/03/2022 17:03

150calories

That’s eating disorder material

Benefit of doubt - could be on a 5/2 fast day?

crosbystillsandmash · 28/03/2022 17:04

@RJnomore1

150calories

That’s eating disorder material

Benefit of doubt - could be on a 5/2 fast day?

This would suit me on a fasting day but I would explain why and complain I was hungry afterwards Grin
JungleJimbo · 28/03/2022 17:05

I would be STUFFED after that

Apple is so high in sugar, and there's a high cal dressing so would keep me going til breakfast the next day

Really can't understand how some people eat so much Shock

NoSquirrels · 28/03/2022 17:06

I’d want some prawns or chicken with it, then it would be fine. Not just on its own. I’d be bored!

PeskyRooks · 28/03/2022 17:07

It looks delicious and would be plenty for me....if it was under a burger in a bun

Dogsaresomucheasier · 28/03/2022 17:07

Depends what they are eating the rest of the time, judgy comments are not appropriate, though!

BarryKentPoet · 28/03/2022 17:07

I'd need protein with it.

halvahalva · 28/03/2022 17:07

It depends if they treat lunch as the larger of the 3 meals. If I had had a proper breakfast and eat a full meal in the evening, this would be fine. If I hadn't had breakfast then no, it wouldn't be enough

LeroyJenkinssss · 28/03/2022 17:07

I think that’s fine for lunch. I wouldn’t be starving or anything afterwards. It’s more the comment about anything more being greedy that would wind me up.

thebear1 · 28/03/2022 17:08

I would be really hungry after that, I aim for my lunch to be about 450 calories and I still need a banana mid afternoon.

ApolloandDaphne · 28/03/2022 17:09

It would be perfect. Just add quiche and a bit of coleslaw!

VyeBrator · 28/03/2022 17:10

It wouldn't fill me up.

But did she really imply anything more is greedy? I find that hard to believe.

BlingLoving · 28/03/2022 17:10

Implying this is normal would be weird, I agree. But I worked with a woman who basically did a version of 5:2 on a regular basis -it wasn't unusual for her to have only green juice or a side salad (without dressing) as lunch if she was going out for dinner or drinks that night. To be honest, I wish I had her self control frankly.

doeadeeer · 28/03/2022 17:10

I do eat a big salad for lunch but I would eat more than this. I bulk the salad out with two huge handfuls of spinach.

Unless you ate a big breakfast and big dinner I'd say this is a small lunch.

AtleastitsnotMonday · 28/03/2022 17:11

Well, at 150 calories, if they are not losing weight they must be eating a lot at other times. But some people do prefer to eat little and often, so maybe that’s what this person is doing. When you say they implied anything more was greedy, what did they actually say? Because obviously it isn’t!

As to whether it would be enough for me, that would depend on what I had already eaten and what was yet to come!

TwilightSkies · 28/03/2022 17:11

Absolutely insufficient. Unless I’d had a full English for breakfast.

WelshyMaud · 28/03/2022 17:11

A healthy, low calorie lunch to me would be that salad on the side of a chicken breast and handful of new potatoes.

Just on its own, if that's the usual way of eating for that person - yes, like a pp said, eating disorder territory.

Tillymintpolo · 28/03/2022 17:12

Needs a side of chips

Hobbitfeet32 · 28/03/2022 17:16

No way would that fill me up. Obbisouky it depends on what the person was having the rest of the day but implying that more would be greedy for someone else shows a very unhealthy attitude to food.

I do lots of sport so I eat a lot of food. My Garmin tells me I’m already on 2500kcal today. Generally I eat around 2000-2500kcal per day.

ThatsNotItAtAll · 28/03/2022 17:17

Did they really imply anything more is greedy?

That's what's wrong if they did ,- but you saw them eat it, did they monologue/ lecture/ make snide comments or just eat it?

Id assume they're on a fast day or calorie counting and had a big cooked breakfast - or indeed a pastry or croissant for breakfast and are planning their main meal in the evening with the family, and don't want to eat over their daily calories as they're focussed on weight loss or maintenance.

I lost 7 stone and its incredibly hard to maintain - I'd rather eat a good, hearty meal with my family 'round the table in the evening than waste calories on a sandwich or similar unappetising stuff I don't even really fancy at lunch just to conform to other people's idea of what I should be eating... but tbh I find it easiest to fast completely than eat something tiny and unsatisfactory that wakes the appetite and leaves me hungry until the next meal! So I definitely wouldn't be likely to be eating a prepackaged side salad on my lonesome at work.

There are reasons people would though - they might even have had a MacDonald 's burger for lunch and picked up the salad on the way back in because they want something with vitamins too 🤣

Any judging of what others eat is the problem, unless its someone you've got responsibility for or are very, very close to and genuinely care very much for and are actually, honestly worrying about not performatively "worried" about with emphasis on the inverted commas.

PandemicAtTheDisco · 28/03/2022 17:17

When people talk about food being sufficient - I often think there is an element of self-punishment going on. It may be sufficeient but is it enough? Does it fill you up or will you crave chocolate in half an hour?

I'm not sure what is going through people's heads and what responses they are wanting when they make these sort of comments.

You're all gluttens!
I'm so virtuous!
I have more self-restraint than you!
I am better than you because I have more self-restraint.
Aren't I healthy - I need your praise.....
I feel so full - how can you eat more?
I want your food. I am so jealous and all I have is ac measly salad. I'm going to make you feel bad about yourself in revenge.

BaronessBomburst · 28/03/2022 17:19

That would do me for lunch depending on what I'd had for breakfast.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 28/03/2022 17:20

Depends what the other meals look like. I often eat 500 cal breakfast, 1000 cal dinner and just a home made veg soup for lunch.

Original poster
LottyD32 · 28/03/2022 17:20

@JungleJimbo

I would be STUFFED after that

Apple is so high in sugar, and there's a high cal dressing so would keep me going til breakfast the next day

Really can't understand how some people eat so much Shock

I hope you're joking!
OP posts: