A salad a day.... My Method

2

Replies

  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    I don't know if you've ever used a mandolin (not the instrument) but I bought one for like $5 at a cooking store and it REVOLITIONIZED salads for me. Seriously. I can now make my amazingly overflowing salad with all the veggies I could ever want in less than 5 minutes. (I sound like the slap chop guy. haha) but seriously. Though do be careful, I've hacked off parts of my finger before, the blades are sharp :(
    [/quote]

    ^^LOL. Everyone I know who has ever used a mandolin has done this to their fingers, myself included, and more than once.

    I have a salad every day too. I don't like tomatoes, but anything else goes. Love homemade balsamic vinaigrette, or a homemade strawberry poppy seed dressing!
  • RedneckChicana
    RedneckChicana Posts: 20
    I am a massive salad eater. If you really wanna have some fun and mix it up. Look up Salads in a Jar to see all the fun mixes and things you can make. Basically its salad in a wide mouth canning jar. Start with dressing on bottom and work way to top with leafy greens being the top most ingredient. they can keep for up to 5 days! Best part is they are grab and go. Everything is pre-measured, calculated and added up. There is whole pages dedicated to these on Pinterest and all over the web. Happy Grazing!

    http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-pack-the-perfect-salad-in-a-jar-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-192174

    How to Pack the Perfect Salad in a Jar

    Makes 1 salad
    What You Need
    Ingredients
    1-4 tablespoons salad dressing
    Mix of raw and cooked vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, cheese, and other salad ingredients
    Salad greens

    Equipment
    Wide-mouth canning jars with tight-fitting lids:

    pint jars for side salads, quart jars for individual meal-sized salads, 2-quart jars (or larger) for multiple servings

    Large bowl, to serve
    Instructions
    Salad Dressing: Pour 1 to 4 tablespoons of your favorite salad dressing in the bottom of the jar. Adjust the amount of dressing depending on the size of the salad you are making and your personal preference.
    Hard Vegetables: Next, add any hard chopped vegetables you're including in your salad, like carrots, cucumbers, red and green peppers, cooked beets, and fennel.
    Beans, Grains, and Pasta: Next, add any beans, grains, and/or pasta, like chickpeas, black beans, cooked barley, cooked rice, and pasta corkscrews.
    Cheese and Proteins (optional): If you'll be eating the salad within the day, add a layer of diced or crumbled cheese and proteins like tunafish, diced (cooked) chicken, hardboiled eggs, or cubed tofu. If you're making salads ahead to eat throughout the week, wait to add these ingredients until the day you're planning to eat the salad and add them on top of the jar.
    Softer Vegetables and Fruits (optional): Next, add any soft vegetables or fruits, like avocados, tomatoes, diced strawberries, or dried apricots. If you're making salads ahead to eat throughout the week, wait to add these ingredients until the day you're planning to eat the salad and add them to the top of the jar.
    Nuts, Seeds, and Lighter Grains: Next, add any nuts or seeds, like almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. If you're making a salad with lighter, more absorbent grains like quinoa or millet, add them in this layer instead of with the beans.
    Salad Greens: Last but not least, fill the rest of the jar with salad greens. Use your hands to tear them into bite-sized pieces. It's fine to pack them into the jar fairly compactly.
    Storing the salad: Screw the lid on the jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If you're including any cheese, proteins, or soft fruits and vegetables, add these to the top of the jar the morning you plan to eat your salad.
    Tossing and eating the salad: When ready to eat, unscrew the lid and shake the salad into the bowl. The action of shaking the salad into the bowl is usually enough to mix the salad with the dressing. If not, toss gently with a fork until coated.
  • LaLa_Ventura
    LaLa_Ventura Posts: 94 Member
    I don't know if you've ever used a mandolin (not the instrument) but I bought one for like $5 at a cooking store and it REVOLITIONIZED salads for me. Seriously. I can now make my amazingly overflowing salad with all the veggies I could ever want in less than 5 minutes. (I sound like the slap chop guy. haha) but seriously. Though do be careful, I've hacked off parts of my finger before, the blades are sharp :(

    ^^LOL. Everyone I know who has ever used a mandolin has done this to their fingers, myself included, and more than once.

    I have a salad every day too. I don't like tomatoes, but anything else goes. Love homemade balsamic vinaigrette, or a homemade strawberry poppy seed dressing!
    [/quote]

    Yes! I want one a mandoline so bad. I'm just so picky with appliances. I should look into one again.
  • suejoker
    suejoker Posts: 317 Member
    Brilliant idea--your salad club! I work from home, so my salad club is kinda quiet. It's still delicious. I just had a huge salad with romaine, red onions, avocado, tomatoes, and anchovies. To make it even more fun, I spread some laughing cow lowfat swiss on crackers. All of it, only 382 calories! If you cut the tomatoes and anchovies, the liquid from the tomatoes & avocados and olive oil from the anchovies make their own dressing:)

    I just pick fruits & veggies that I really like, so I'll eat them.
  • tmm_0127
    tmm_0127 Posts: 545 Member
    I always make a salad with my lunch and bring one fruit for a snack. Sometimes if I'm having trouble getting it all in I make a juice or a smoothie packed with every veggie I can find and some fruit.
  • Sunflwer3
    Sunflwer3 Posts: 68 Member
    Bumping for ideas!
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    i have to make sure im eating right EVERY MEAL. i want results and I plan accordingly for them. I also do bring salad stuff to make to work and cut up and all that. I make bomb *kitten* salads too. As far as dressing goes, i havent been bored yet, but i use the same each time, because I LOVE DRESSING and i would not be ok with 1, 2, or even 3 tablespoons of dressing. Therefore, I make my own. With greek plain yogurt, ranch powdered packet (not the whole thing by all means, to desired taste, and add a little water. mix, and i can get a whole bunch of dressing on my salad for literally 50-60 calories. works well for me. I add cucumbers, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomoatoes, radishes, avocados, sometimes hard boiled eggs, sometimes deli meat, sometimes bacon. and i eat a very nice size portion. mmmmmm. today was the first time i ventured into another salad. it was the sweet kale 7 super foods salad. I was very impressed. It was so sweet and so good mmm mmmm mmmmm.
  • LaLa_Ventura
    LaLa_Ventura Posts: 94 Member
    today was the first time i ventured into another salad. it was the sweet kale 7 super foods salad. I was very impressed. It was so sweet and so good mmm mmmm mmmmm.
  • LaLa_Ventura
    LaLa_Ventura Posts: 94 Member
    I LOVE the 7 Super Foods mix. So nutrituional dense and the pumpkinseeds with dried cranberries...YUMMY! It's a work out for your jaw due to all the fiberous veggies but its so good.
  • Broderick50
    Broderick50 Posts: 851 Member
    This is a method that I use almost daily. Usually I'll eat my salad with dinner, but if not daily then at least 5 days in a week I will eat a salad.
  • sophiek1964
    sophiek1964 Posts: 79 Member
    I do the same in which I will eat a small portion of what I'm craving with a large salad beside it. I love my salads. It's fantastic that your coworkers have joined in.
  • RRB2000
    RRB2000 Posts: 77 Member
    Its sounds strange I know, but I LOVE salads....that someone else makes, like my mom or out somewhere, but to make a salad myself....not so much! If I could eat out every day I could totally eat salad for every meal, but if I have to make it myself, maybe 1 day of the week is all I'll be able to stomach a salad. Great job on getting your veggies in....keep up the good work!
  • fedup30
    fedup30 Posts: 141 Member


    I don't know if you've ever used a mandolin (not the instrument) but I bought one for like $5 at a cooking store and it REVOLITIONIZED salads for me. Seriously. I can now make my amazingly overflowing salad with all the veggies I could ever want in less than 5 minutes. (I sound like the slap chop guy. haha) but seriously. Though do be careful, I've hacked off parts of my finger before, the blades are sharp :(

    headed to amazon right now! It takes me forever to chop all my ingredients! Thanks! :drinker:
  • feelin_gr_8
    feelin_gr_8 Posts: 308 Member
    I'm feeling more like salads now that it's looking and feeling more like spring. Fresh Express has a 30 day "Salad Swap" with recipes on the site and they have a challenge/reward program right now that for every 2 salads you buy (in a 30 day timeframe), you get a $1 off 2 salads coupon, and if you buy 15 or more in that 30 days, you get $50 worth of coupons to spend all year. I'm 10 bags in of the minimum 15 and it's only been a week :) Of course having guests for dinner (soup and salad) helps, but I also get bags of spinach for our smoothies as well as salads to eat :)
  • NikiaSue
    NikiaSue Posts: 259 Member
    I try to do the same thing. Just started a couple weeks ago. I like the "Salad Club" label.
    And I must say, my gosh, Kens Steakhouse Lite Rasberry Walnut Vinagrette is supherb.
    Keep it up.
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
    I think it's so cool you've gotten other co-workers involved! I eat salad pretty much every day, either for lunch, or with dinner. I'm one of those who gets on a kick with something- my current salad fave is a mix of baby kale and spinach, sliced strawberries, crumbled gorgonzola, avacado and some chopped pecans or waluts. I change up the dressing, but it's usually either balsamic vinagrette (maple grove farms makes a maple/balsamic that somehow only has 25 cals per 1T!) a honey dijon (Maple Grove Farms, again) or Girards Champagne dressing.

    Actually, I'm eating a salad right now- it's the above, but topped with some leftover chicken breast. It's delicious. Yay for salad!
  • law110
    law110 Posts: 43
    Thanks for the great topic!

    I started having a big salad for lunch everyday when I read that eating 5 cups of veggies each day will greatly help prevent heart problems and strokes. I use big square or rectangular containers to bring it to work. I like to start with per-washed spring mix and add in (roasted asparagus and colorful peppers + 1/4 cup walnuts) (1/4 cup stir fried garbanzo beans, roasted left over veggies with 1oz feta) or (pear or blueberries with 1oz bleu cheese) I always mix 1T really good olive oil with 1t really good vinegar (I have pineapple and blueberry currently). It's a perfect lunch!
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    Almost every day at work

    Salad002_10_zpsaf99c1a2.jpg

    I wash everything at home, and bring the lettuce in the tupperware, the rest in a bag.

    chop it up and voila......

    Salad001_10_zpsc8fafaed.jpg

    I've never weighed it, but I figure it feels like about 2 lbs. I log it as 700 calories, because it's got 1/2 can of black beans on it, and a very generous handful of mixed nuts. Ya, I'm into salad.

    :wink:

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  • LaLa_Ventura
    LaLa_Ventura Posts: 94 Member
    I'm feeling more like salads now that it's looking and feeling more like spring. Fresh Express has a 30 day "Salad Swap" with recipes on the site and they have a challenge/reward program right now that for every 2 salads you buy (in a 30 day timeframe), you get a $1 off 2 salads coupon, and if you buy 15 or more in that 30 days, you get $50 worth of coupons to spend all year. I'm 10 bags in of the minimum 15 and it's only been a week :) Of course having guests for dinner (soup and salad) helps, but I also get bags of spinach for our smoothies as well as salads to eat :)

    Oh WOW. I will def inquire about this deal. Thank you so much!
  • Super_Amy
    Super_Amy Posts: 97 Member
    Love salads! My new favorite is broccoli slaw, blue cheese, zucchini, and poppyseed dressing!

    I want this recipe. This sounds really good.

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