Anyway to make salads more appetizing??

CrusherKun

I use to be the same way. My wife use to make me a salad everyday for lunch (and still does) and after a while I started throwing most of it away cause I just didn't feel like eating ANOTHER salad. But after focusing on my transformation, I decided to change the old dull lettuce mix and went with a Kale/Beet Top/Spinach mixture that I found at Walmart. It was different and quite tasty. I also put a lot of time into finding a salad dressing I really liked. Wishbone has a really tasty low cal low fat spicy French dressing I really like. Also, I like make sure I have plenty of red bell pepper and red onion in it also. A few grape tomato's and some cucumbers and I am good to go.

I also think that my frame of mind at the time of consumption is key. I have made sure to take my 2.2 mile walk before I sit down to eat. That way it doesn't matter what I am eating, cause I BE HUNGRY!

IF all else fails....add bacon!

CK

droberts3311

Try rice vinigar. It is so good and you can get differant flavors. I add bean, feta cheese, corn, cranberries, what ever I have on hand. I dont think I have ever made any one salad the same. If you just dont like them try stir fry...bag of mixed veggies, soy sauce, chicken broth, mix it up. Anything goes, you cant go wrong. Good luck..:flowerforyou:

jennifer_417

One of the best ways to succeed at weight loss is to not force yourself to eat anything you don't like. The idea is to make the process as easy and pain-free as possible.

ItsCasey

A salad isn't necessarily healthy or unhealthy. How a salad fits into your larger calorie and macro goals for the day is what makes it a good or bad choice for you.

But it shouldn't come as any great surprise that the main ways to make a salad more appetizing are also going to pile on the calories. If you don't generally like salads, I highly doubt that using lemon juice as a dressing is going to change your mind. Meat will typically make a salad more enjoyable and more filling, as will cheese and full-fat dressings. And these are things that will likely require some calorie and macro sacrifices elsewhere in your day.

Another option is to use fruits and vegetables that pack a lot of flavor. Citrus/tropical fruits and peppers are my go-tos (I especially love using mangoes and jalapenos together). Strong herbs like cilantro will also do wonders for taste. I like to use shallots, as well, because they sort of pull double duty as onion and garlic.

gsoukup2

pomegranate seeds or corn cooked with a little bbq or steak sauce

dsoucy31

I always viewed salads as a leafy green meal. however I just pulled out a can of chick peas because I was going to attempt homemade hummus and there was a chick pea tuna salad recipe on the label that seems very interesting! so needless to say I put it together and its sitting in the fridge for tomorrows lunch.... so my advice is explore other types of salad!

ka97

If you don't like salads, then don't eat salad.

But, if you really want, get creative and experiment w/flavors. Think about what you do like, and get creative with how you could put it on top of some sort of vegetable mixture.

Some of my faves :

-baby spinach or spring mix, strawberries, sliced almonds, crumbled blue cheese, grilled chicken, blush wine vinaigrette - comes in at about 250 calories

-baby spinach, celery, carrots, grilled chicken or turkey, franks red wing sauce, bolthouse farms yogurt ranch dressing - under 200 calories

-shredded iceburg, ground turkey taco meat, onion, peppers, celery, salsa, nonfat greek yogurt, lowfat shredded cheese - about 300 calories (closer to 200 if I skip the cheese)

Great flavors and filling, doesn't feel at all like diet food.
But again, if you just don't like it, don't eat it.

ETA - I make my salads in a large Tupperware container, put the lid on, and shake. Gets all the yummy (and more caloric) ingredients mixed up throughout the salad. This allows me to keep the portions size low on the higher calorie items and load up on the veggies, and still get good flavor.

fruttibiscotti

^^^^ this! And extra virgin olive oil and avocados...fat makes it tasty and healthy!

jweindruch

Whole foods sells a variety of "No Oil" salad dressings in the produce section that are low in calories by high in flavor. Also, I add a whole avocado to every salad which for me makes it awesome!

ShawnandKristine

I love adding bbq sauce, a little goes a long way and low on calories!
I also like cottage cheese over it..

Those are my favs!

rjdunn87

My favorite dressing to make is just olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, grated or finely minced garlic, salt and pepper. Low in calories, healthy fats from the EVOO, super tangy and delicious on just about anything: salads, veggies, as a dipping oil for bread, etc.

westendcurls

There are tons of different kinds of salads out there id keep trying different ones til you find some you like.

workitsassy

Instead of dressing I drizzle a very high quality aged balsamic vinegar on salads.... That's it. No oil- nothing else. You must pay over $25 a bottle for a really good one, but well worth it. You can even get some flavoured ones if you wish.

Sometimes I make a huge plate of cucumbers, tomato, chopped fresh basil and balsamic vinegar.... practically no calories.

Other great salads I make are mixed lettuce greens ( of course) covered with sautéed warm pear slices and onions.... REALLY tasty with a bit of goat cheese if you don't mind the calories from the cheese.

Also I will often sauté asparagus, sprinkle a bit of parmesan on it and top that on a salad. Adds the bit of veggie nutrition you need and makes a salad look and taste beautiful.

Salads can become your favourite food... they have mine.

Good Luck.

jaks97

my daughter made salads in Mason Jars for our Christmas. She found them on Pinterest. I will be making those to take to work, all types you can make.

mowree

Bump for later

carliekitty

favorite salads, mixed baby greens, dried cranberries, walnuts, gala apple, feta cheese, and a half of tbls of homemade vinaigrette.
I only use a couple tablespoons of the cranberries and nuts, and one ounce of feta cheese.

second fav salad, mixed greens, roasted pears, walnuts or nut of preference, crumbled blue cheese, and homemade dressing.

I also like to take arugala, beets, herbed goat cheese, apple, and w/e nut you want , w homemade dressing again.

Just measure all the fruit and nuts cause they can get caloric.

ils_1231

I add fresh herbs to the salad-- my favourite being cilantro. I will also add goat's cheese. I am a firm believer that cheese makes anything better.

elyelyse

i eat "salads" probably 5 times a week or more...but my salads almost never contain lettuce. I use shredded carrots or shredded cabbage (you can buy it shredded for cole slaw) as a base, and add at least 2-3 other tasty vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, snap peas, etc. Then, I add something that can give it a burst of flavor, like hot banana peppers or olives (watch your portions) or beets marinated in vinegar. I also like to give it some interesting texture by adding a couple of tbsp of sunflower seeds sometimes. Also, vary what protein you include. grilled chicken or canned tuna are pretty basic, but good. Or, you can try edamame, tofu, cottage cheese, bacon, leftovers from last night, etc.

For dressing, I like to mix mustard and/or balsamic vinegar into some plain greek yogurt. One time i even microwaved a few raspberries, mushed them up, and put that in to the mix.

Salad is such a generic term, but there's so many different ways to do it.

GingerLolita

I haven't been eating salads much for the last couple months as I've been favoring more warm, comforting foods, such as soups. However, I recently discovered my love for salad by trying some new varieties! Put things you love in the salad and there'd be no reason not to like it. Make sure you're including healthy fats in your salad, in the form of oil, avocado, or nuts; while it will increase calories, your salad will be more satisfying and you will be able to absorb more nutrients.

Some of my favorite salads:

My go-to side salad is a spring mix/baby spinach blend with diced baby carrots, cucumber slices, and bell pepper slices with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

At the whole foods salad bar, I get baby spinach with shredded beets, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, sliced almonds, chicken breast, and no-oil pomegranate vinaigrette.

My favorite salad recipe is spring mix with blanched sugar snap peas, sliced strawberries, blueberries, diced kiwi, banana slices, pine nuts, and Trader Joe's low-calorie raspberry vinaigrette.

I also love eating grilled tilapia, seasoned only with salt and pepper, on a bed of spring mix, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

megan_elizabeth8

I like to use cottage cheese instead of salad dressing. It's a better food than dressing and it does the job.... moisten the salad. I happen to love cottage cheese anyway. Also if you are going to have salad, add some good sources of protein such as beans or chickpeas.

I love cottage cheese in my salad too
I especially like it along with tuna and onion :happy:

pheona76

1) I would say the same as others if lettuce is the problem. Healthy/Salad does not necessarily mean lettuce or even leafy green. Or raw. Just mix up any veggies and healthy protein companions you like.

2) Also, cooled roasted veggies. Like roasted beets, red peppers, zucchini or eggplant. I love 'em. No lettuce needed.

3) If it is the texture try a different chop. You can buy a lot of pre-chopped items. Shredded carrots. Broccoli slaw (has no dressing. It just refers to the chop) Try julienne cut veggies. Even the leafy greens can be julienne. Julienne works really well on cabbages, such as red cabbage or napa cabbage, brussel sprouts or even endives.

4) Try herb based salads. These need little more then an acid to flavor like lemon juice, lime juice, rice vinegar or red wine vinegar. Think Tabouleh. Use Cilantro, Parsley or Mint as the leafy base. Add flavorful grains bulgur, Quinoa. Add chopped flavorful veggies and Fruit like tomatoes, cucumbers, mango, pineapple, jicama, Asian pear, apple...

Hope that helps

pheona76

I love cottage cheese! I am going to try this.

meshashesha2012

salad is so much better when you have fresh ingredients. there are some salads i absolutely refuse to eat (ie anything with lettuce).

my favorite salad is a mix i make at home that contains

fresh kale, baby spinach, shredded purple cabbage, cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, avocado, chicken * trader joes asian peanut dressing

Nancy33333

I always make my own dressing, one salad at a time.
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Splash Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

It's quick, tasty and fresh. I used to use balsamic vinegar, but now I'm a diehard sherry vinegar fan.

I also make a Greek salad mix:
2 cups each of chopped cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes (I use cherry and gem tomatoes), and red onion.

Then I just scoop out 2 cups of the mix, add the dressing above, 1/2 ounce of feta, and a few kalamata olives, and it's ready to eat. You'll have 4 salads in total this way.

MissBabyJane

I can't be much of a help, because I love salads. But try with lemon juice? It's really healthy. The only thing I add is or lemon juice or salt.

barbi_jean

I love salads. I use Hot Sauce for my dressing.. 0 Calories and Yummy! Franks Red Hot Sauce is the best!

GiveMeCoffee

I like salads if they have very minimal lettuce, lots of bacon oh and some grape tomatoes... yea that's pretty much my salads.. throw in some tuna and that's one of my typical lunches.

OP if you don't enjoy salads you don't have to eat them.

oiseau17

My (awesome) lunch salad today:
Romaine, hummus, Trader Joe's fat-free balsamic vinaigrette, smoked Gouda, tomato, zucchini, shrimp, baked tofu, and Trader Joe's corn and chili salsa.
It was delicious, lots of protein and about 400 cals.

goneforawhile

I just put hot sauce on it, no dressing.

piersonj

My favorite dressing by far. Plus I love meat on my salad. Tuna,beef,chicken. Add cheese or hard boiled eggs. Mix it up a bit. Good luck.

Love these dressings, the Thousand Island is my favorite. Want to try the Ranch when what my we have runs out.