What do you eat with salads?

Autumn_Days

I've been back on the bandwagon for a couple of weeks now, and as a mum of a 4 year old and with a partner who likes a big filling meal, a lot of our meals were things like spaghetti bolognese, meatballs and mash, steak and chips.. (all with other veggies too) basically meals with a fair chunk of carbs! Not that there is anything wrong with those meals, they just make it hard to stay within calories for the day.

So I have been eating a lot of salads lately, which I love. I just need some new ways of making them filling and things to eat with them. I've been having salad with grilled chicken breast, in wraps with ham or chicken, baked fish and steak.

I was thinking maybe of still eating small portions of the meals my family loves, and filling up on salad with those small portions.

Any other ideas?

DancingMoosie

I eat salad almost every day for lunch. Here are some things I add to mixed greens:
1. deli meat and cheese, tomatoes
2. Leftover taco filling, salsa
3. Leftover fajitas, salsa
4. cooked beans (usually with Rotel)
5. chopped crunchy vegetables (carrot, celery, cucumber) with hummus
6. cottage cheese and oranges
I don't usually use salad dressing, but sometimes add balsamic vinegar or hummus mixed with salsa. I like to have a small Greek yogurt on the side.

zombie130

i love a bowl spinach with black beans on it! the black beans taste so good with it i dont even use dressing. can add strawberries too.

Smirnoff65

Grilled Turkey Breast fillets and Piri Piri Chicken thighs, I really like with a salad and some sweet potato wedges that have been roasted in the actifryer with no oil just a couple of squirts of frylight.

SunofaBeach14

My go-to basic salad is romaine with cucumber and tomatoes, and then I mix in fresh herbs such as basil, mint, dill, and/or oregano. Then I dress it with dried onion, garlic, pepper, salt, parsley, olive oil, and vinegar (balsamic or red wine).

My other favorites are Israeli salad, Tabouleh, and caprese. We tend to cycle through these regularly.

VeryKatie

Try parmesan, dried cranberries, apples, pecans with Dijon mustard mixed with olive oil,and cinnamon.

seltzermint555

tuna and/or chopped boiled egg. So good. Also, apple wedges alongside the salad.

psych101

I'm on a red onion and feta cheese streak at the moment - I'm putting that alllllll over my salads lol

Kate7294

I often put red kidney beans on my salads.Recently used some black beans ....yum. I'm a ranch fan so I only used 1 Tbsp. of my light ranch and 2 Tbsp. salsa. Cheese of course. Also canned beets , mushrooms, and strawberries are delish.
I also like cold peas, and raisins though seems like a lot of calories for them.

emngill209

I absolutely love salad! I love to put green peppers in it lol. I could seriously eat green peppers with everything though, and raw. I also like to put different kinds of meat in it, chicken or deli meat. I'm not one to put fruits in my salads though. That's just me. I like ton of different veggies too. Mushrooms, peppers, different kinds of lettuce, everything!

NH_1970

Usually raw sunflower seeds
Cukes - always love them
Sometimes 1 oz of cheese
sauteed mushrooms-read that cooking them releases all the good stuff they have in them, but I like them uncooked as well.
sometimes I use mild salsa as I don't like the way a regular tomatoes feel in my mouth to chew
sometimes a lil bit of hummus
or cooked lentils or black beans

I've cut up random fruits to put on them too.
Sometimes put in meat

Hachiko89

I've been back on the bandwagon for a couple of weeks now, and as a mum of a 4 year old and with a partner who likes a big filling meal, a lot of our meals were things like spaghetti bolognese, meatballs and mash, steak and chips.. (all with other veggies too) basically meals with a fair chunk of carbs! Not that there is anything wrong with those meals, they just make it hard to stay within calories for the day.

So I have been eating a lot of salads lately, which I love. I just need some new ways of making them filling and things to eat with them. I've been having salad with grilled chicken breast, in wraps with ham or chicken, baked fish and steak.

I was thinking maybe of still eating small portions of the meals my family loves, and filling up on salad with those small portions.

Any other ideas?

Instead of having a dressing on my salad, I use Apple Cider Vinegar as it is supposed to curb your appetite. There's lots of controversy as to whether it works but I figured its worth a go!

Just because there isn't alot of research on it, doesn't meant it doesn't work. Here's some info:

"Weight loss. For thousands of years, vinegar has been used for weight loss, but evidence is limited. It’s possible, but not proven, that white vinegar (and perhaps other types) might help people feel full. A 2005 study of 12 people found that those who ate a piece of bread along with small amounts of white vinegar felt fuller and more satisfied than those who just ate the bread. The EFSA rejected a health claim for apple cider vinegar that it helps control and normalise body weight.

While the results of the studies above may seem promising, they are all preliminary. Many were done on animals or on cells in a laboratory. Human studies have been small. Before we will truly know whether vinegar has any health benefits, much larger studies are needed."

JoRocka

My go-to basic salad is romaine with cucumber and tomatoes, and then I mix in fresh herbs such as basil, mint, dill, and/or oregano. Then I dress it with dried onion, garlic, pepper, salt, parsley, olive oil, and vinegar (balsamic or red wine).

My other favorites are Israeli salad, Tabouleh, and caprese. We tend to cycle through these regularly.

all of this.

lhor2374

A few alternative ideas to making your family meals fit into your calories -

Have bolognaise with courgette/zucchini spirals (get a julienne peeler or a spiralizer). You can either have them raw or drop the courgette/zucchini into boiling water for 1 minute
Switch mash to cauliflower mash. Steam the cauliflower and then blitz in the blender until smooth
Switch chips to sweet potato chips. Bake them in the oven

I do the above so I can eat the same meals as my partner and actually prefer it now!

dammitjanet0161

My typical salad is a base of bulgur wheat with prawns or chunks of chicken for protein, always cherry tomatoes and olives. Then whatever else is in the fridge that I fancy - today I had it with prawns, goat cheese and beetroot added. Sometimes I put in avocado, sometimes leftover roasted veg (usually something like a mix of roasted sweet potato, onion, courgette, peppers and mushroom - if I'm having roasted veg with dinner I always make extra so I have leftovers).

Nicoise with tuna, boiled egg, new potatoes, leaves, olives and tomatoes is also good, and nice and filling because of the protein and potatoes.

sweetestcaz

I do what you suggested about having whatever the family has but adding a huge side salad.
Chilli & rice and spag bol are particularly good with salad.
If we're having something that really doesn't go with salad like a casserole, apart from putting loads of veg in there in the first place, I do myself a try of roast vegetable (whatever is in the fridge with a couple of squirts of fry light and lots of black pepper). This is the the 'warm' salad component.
It's working a treat so far. I work full time and really don't have the time to be cooking seperate meals for myself.
On the plus side everything I do cook is as healthy and low calorie as I can make it and nobody is complaining!

jennifurballs

I eat salads almost every day. Usually with grilled chicken breast I add English cucumbers, red bell peppers, dried cranberries, and I used Kraft lite raspberry vinaigrette. A little goes a long way and although Kraft is a little more expensive, it's half the calories of the Kroger brand.

sati18

I eat boiled and herbed new potatoes with my salad - I boil them in the morning or night before and dump a load of mixed herbs, oregano, salt and pepper on them and put them into the salad along with whichever protein im having. I find potatoes really filling and they're good for potassium levels too

Foamroller

My go-to salad takes 3 minutes to make!
2 servings

Dressing:
0.7-1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 ts Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
Mix the dressing by whisking fast in a bowl, then add the vegetables in the following order.

3 tomatoes, sliced into pieces
150 gr cucumber, chopped as preferred
30 gr pickled silver onion, cut in quarters
1/2-1 can of any beans you like, rinsed
1 small bag or 100 gr washed spinach/rocket salad/mixed leafy greens

Add any meats you like, grilled chicken or tiger prawns, ham etc.
If you bring the meal in a lunchbox to work or school, store the meat in other container and the salad in a bag, then add into the salad before eating, or the meat and salad get soggy.
You can also sprinkle with flax seeds if you don't like beans.

I just checked the recipe, if you have 230 gr of canned kidney beans, which is a lot of beans... it's 186 kcal per serving for the salad alone, no meats.

gothomson

Heres a veggi option:

Halloumi cheese & Chick pea salad (for one)

Lettuce
Spring onions
Tomatoes
Chick peas 1/2 a can
1/2 a block Halloumi cheese

For dressing:

1 tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
dijon mustard (or any you prefer)

Method:

mix salad ingredients and put in about half of the salad dressing

chop up salad ingredients and arrange flat on a plate

pour 1/2 a can of drained chick peas over the salad ingredients

cut the the Halloumi into three thick slices and grill till the cheese isslightly brown and place on top of salad

used the rest of the dressing to sprinkle over the cheese.

There you have it! quick, easy and delicious!

Limeycat

Always struggle with boring salads, so I'm in for the yumminess!

dlibonati

I find cous cous, quinoa and beans are all filling and tasty things to add to salads.

cw106

houmous
tzatziki
capers
picled onions
feta cheese
anchovy fillets
egg mayo
baby gherkins
red onions

all used in rotation with toms and cucumber and hard boiled eggs.

i also now use qourn and tofu.

trombonegds

My favorite salad is salad with grilled chicken, blueberries, strawberries, parmesan cheese, toasted slivered almonds, and raspberry vinaigrette. Wendy's had a salad just like it called "Berry Almond Chicken Salad", I loved it so much, I make it at home.

Or salad with feta cheese, roasted red bell peppers, onion, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the dressing.

MKEgal

For stuff to throw on top of lettuce...:
various cheeses - feta, shredded cheddar, parmesan
beans - black, kidney, garbanzo
veggies - cucumber, tomato, shredded carrots, onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, artichoke hearts, corn, baby corn
consider pickled veggies - baby corn, beets, asparagus
fresh herbs
hard boiled eggs
olives - I like kalamata for the more intense taste
croutons - yes, there are fat-free croutons that taste pretty good!
salsa
meats - shrimp, chicken, ham, leftover taco meat
sliced almonds

I alternate among several dressings, and not all of them are low-fat.
In fact, this is one place I freely spend my fat calories, because it tastes so much better.
Caesar, ranch, french, Dorothy Lynch, Greek, balsamic vinaigrette

AmyG1982

I like to throw all the extra "leftover" veggies I have for the week in my salads. Several kinds of lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli (both raw), cucumbers, corn, etc. Then I add chicken, roasted almonds, sunflower/pumkin seeds, a little cheddar cheese, apples, cranberries, cut up fresh dill... lol pretty much anything. Then top with my favourite salad dressing (I make my own with apple cider vinegar, olive oil a little salt & pepper and some soy sauce and garlic powder)

Morgaath

What do you eat with salads?
8oz of chicken breast is the norm for my workday lunch salad, along with 0.17cups of sunflower seeds (They have little cups intended for dressing). The rest is veggies.

MKEgal

Instead of having a dressing on my salad, I use Apple Cider Vinegar as it is supposed to curb your appetite. There's lots of controversy as to whether it works but I figured its worth a go!
Just because there isn't a lot of research on it, doesn't meant it doesn't work.

Here's where you can search for studies: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

While there are very few studies, and many of those are in lesser animals, I did find one saying that mice fed vinegar did show less weight gain than mice in the control group ... but they also showed liver & stomach problems.

And here's a case study talking about tooth erosion in a girl who drank a glass of cider vinegar (ICK!) every day for "weight loss".
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23373303

Sthere

candied walnuts, goat cheese and craisins!!! :P yum

Wasatcher

Prawns sautéed in olive oil and lime or lemon juice seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, new mex chile and turmeric, served warm over a chilled salad with vinaigrette.

Cold poached salmon also works well. Blackened ahi and avocado slices too.

geneticsteacher

Whatever I have made for the rest of the family, just less of it.