Eating a salad makes your body feel great and it can be eaten as a meal on its own or as a side. Preparing a meal for others is often a balance between not making enough and making too much. So the question is: how much salad is best for one person.
On average, 3.5 oz (100g) is the ideal amount for one adult as a side. Whereas, for a salad as a whole meal, such as a Caesar, 7 to 10.5 oz (200g to 300g) is ideal. Children and teenagers require between 30% to 50% of this amount, depending on their age.
The amount that is good for one person also depends on how much they weigh. People who weigh more have a bigger appetite, whereas lighter individuals are satisfied with less food.
Below, I will provide detailed info in tables that shows how much salad to make for one person as a side or as a main.
See: Sweet Onion Chicken Corn Salad
How Much To Make for Adults and Children
As children get older, they tend to get taller and weigh more. As a result, their body has a higher demand for calories, and they need more food to feel full.
Here’s how much salad you should make as a side based on a child’s age and how much to make based on how much a person weighs.
On average, 3.5 oz (99 g) is good for a side serving for adults, and 8.8 oz (248 g), is an ideal amount as a main. Children at 5 years of age will require about 30% of these amounts, and children aged about 10 years of age will require 50% of these amounts.
Whereas teenagers will eat in the range of 60% to 100% of these amounts depending on their age. For example, 17 and 18 years olds are often mostly fully grown and will eat about as much as an adult.
To see this info more clearly, I’ve put together 4 tables. One table shows how much salad to make based on a person’s age. And another table shows how much to make based on how much a person weighs.
There are also 2 tables for when a salad is being prepared as a side dish and for when is being prepared as a main.
How Much To Prepare Based on a Person’s Age [Side Dish]
The table below shows much you should prepare when it’s being prepared as a side dish.
For example, if you are making a meal of a serving of meat, a serving of starch like rice or potatoes, and a serving of salad.
| A person’s age | How much per serving as a side |
| Adult | 3.5 oz (99 g) |
| Adult – pregnant | 2.3 oz (66 g) |
| 1 to 3 years old | 0.6 oz (16.5 g) |
| 4 to 7 years old | 1.2 oz (33 g) |
| 8 to 10 years old | 1.8 oz (50 g) |
| 11 years old + to teenagers | 2.3 oz (66 g) |
(source: eatforhealth.gov.au)
How Much To Prepare Based on a Person’s Weight [Side Dish]
Next, here’s a table that shows how much salad to prepare for an adult based on how much they weigh. As a general rule, skinny people don’t eat as much as people who weigh more.
I’ve put the average body weight at the top in case you’re preparing a side for adults but don’t know how much each person weighs.
| Body weight of adult | How much salad per serving as a side |
| 160 pounds (72.6kg) – average body weight | 3.5 oz (99 g) |
| 100 pounds (50 kg) | 1.8 oz (50 g) |
| 120 pounds (45 kg) | 2.3 oz (66 g) |
| 140 pounds (63 kg) | 2.9 oz (83 g) |
| 180 pounds (82 kg) | 4.0 oz (116 g) |
| 200 pounds (91 kg) | 4.7 oz (132 g) |
| 220 pounds (99.8 kg) | 5.3 oz (149 g) |
| 240 pounds (109 kg) | 5.8 oz (165 g) |
How Much Salad To Prepare Based on a Person’s Age [As a Main]
| A person’s age | How much salad per serving as a main |
| Adult | 8.8 oz (248 g) |
| Adult – pregnant | 5.8 oz (165 g) |
| 1 to 3 years old | 1.5 oz (41 g) |
| 4 to 7 years old | 2.9 oz (83 g) |
| 8 to 10 years old | 4.4 oz (124 g) |
| 11 years old + to teenagers | 5.8 oz (165 g) |
How Much Salad To Prepare Based on a Person’s Weight [As a Main]
| Body weight of adult | How much salad per serving as a main |
| 160 pounds (72.6kg) – average body weight | 8.8 oz (248 g) |
| 100 pounds (50 kg) | 4.4 oz (124 g) |
| 120 pounds (45 kg) | 5.8 oz (165 g) |
| 140 pounds (63 kg) | 7.3 oz (207 g) |
| 180 pounds (82 kg) | 10.2 oz (289 g) |
| 200 pounds (91 kg) | 11.7 oz (331 g) |
| 220 pounds (99.8 kg) | 13.1 oz (372 g) |
| 240 pounds (109 kg) | 14.6 oz (413 g) |
How Much Is a Side Serving of Salad
A main is considerably bigger than a side order. So, here’s how much a side serving is:
3.5 oz (99g) is a side serving of salad for an adult. But, 1.2 oz (33 g) is a side serving for a child aged 4 to 7 years, and 2.3 oz (66 g) is a side serving for teenagers. People who weigh a lot have bigger appetites. Below is how much a side is based on a person’s weight.
There are 4 tables near the top of this article that show how much side salad to make for the different age brackets a person can be. And how much based on how much a person weighs. Scroll to the top of this article.
How Much Salad Is a Serving Size
A serving size depends on whether a dish is for a side or for a main. It also depends on how much a person weighs and their age. So, this is a summary of how much a serving of salad is in oz and grams.
3.5 oz (99g) is a side serving for an adult, and 8.8 oz (248 g) is an average-sized as a main. Children around 5 years of age will feel satisfied with 30% of this amount (1.2 oz or 33g). Whereas children that are around 10 years of age will need about half (4.4 oz or 124 g).
Salad generally contains a lot of air, so it’s difficult to measure by converting the amount into cups. For example, 1 cup is 8.8 oz (250g). So the best way to measure how much salad you should make is by weighing the raw ingredients using a kitchen scale.
However, and this is what I practise, just go with an estimation based on volume or even in the dish or bowl you use. I have been doing this for a while now and just have my salads in the same bowl. I try to not fill it up too much or too little. Use your brain 😉
Sources
- Eatforhealth.gov.au: What Is a Serve of Vegetables?
- Healthline.com: How Many Calories Are in Salad? Different Types and Toppings
- Fatsecret.com: Lettuce Salad with Assorted Vegetables (Including Tomatoes and/or Carrots)
How Many Grams Of Risotto For One Person
