Salad Alternatives?

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Kamixa
Kamixa Posts: 18
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone have any good ideas for salad alternatives? Its winter so the produce hasn't been that great plus its really expensive. I'm thinking of doing soups/frozen meals a couple times a week but not more due to sodium.

Any input is welcome!

Replies

  • Healthyby30
    Healthyby30 Posts: 1,349 Member
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    You can make your own frozen meals to keep sodium down. Whenever I make a casserole/soup/stew I make extra and freeze it in individual containers - servings already pre measured. Most things reheat perfectly fine. Just make sure its a good, air tight container. It doesn't take that much extra work since you are already making something anyway!
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
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    You can make your own frozen meals to keep sodium down. Whenever I make a casserole/soup/stew I make extra and freeze it in individual containers - servings already pre measured. Most things reheat perfectly fine. Just make sure its a good, air tight container. It doesn't take that much extra work since you are already making something anyway!

    That is awesome advice---as yes, there is way too much sodium in those frozen meals. Soup is a great idea too. Put some cabbage in it, too, good way to get in some cabbage.
  • dawnslaughter
    dawnslaughter Posts: 125
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    you dont have to eat salad to lose weight.!!!


    eat fresh veg lots of it and fruit they fill you up and are low in calories.

    dont eat too much refined food or processed foods.

    make chunky soups and put quorn mince into them for protein and bulk

    i made one with carrots, courgettes, peppers, and leeks, plus stock cube and quorn mince i had 708 calories in the whole pan,
    that was 3 massive bowls of soup that even made my husband full.


    200g leeks
    250g courgettes
    100g red peppers
    1 can of kidney beans
    100g carrots
    1 bag of quorn mince
    10g of spaghetti broken up small
    20g of tomato pure
    a veg oxo cube

    just chop it all up throw it into the pan with as much water as it takes to cover it (more if you want more liquid) and season to taste

    when the carrots are tender its done
  • JulsDiane
    JulsDiane Posts: 349 Member
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    I buy a lot of frozen veges. Use them in recipes, steam them, sometimes boil them (even though I know it's not best.) You might look though at some local farmers markets. There are a number of greenhouse growers out there and some have actually hit the mark on making veges stellar even in the winter.
  • fitbot
    fitbot Posts: 406
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    agree w raw walads kinda sucking in the winter. I just feel cold all the time if I eat salads.
    So as alternative
    roasted anything
    i will roast a beet or a sweet potato or squash and have that as a meal, or a snack. Like with salad, careful what you put on it. personally i find these vegetables delicious enough on their own or with a bit of sea salt.
    soups are also a great alternative.
  • Caffeinewitch
    Caffeinewitch Posts: 110 Member
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    Butternut squash soup made at home with chicken broth instead of cream, although a dollop of light sour cream makes it super tastey!

    Sweet potatoes can be baked in the microwave, just pierce it with a fork a few times, wrap it in a wet paper towel and cook for at least 7 minutes depending on the size. Goes great with cottage cheese, or salt and pepper.

    A sandwich made with a fiber plus or fiber one english muffin saves a bunch of calories from bread and gives you a fiber boost. I usually do peanut butter and jelly, processed yes but yummy!

    Any broth soup with couscous mixed in makes for a filling but not calorie-busting lunch.
  • aunienue
    aunienue Posts: 416
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    I make turkey chili and freeze it in 1 cup portions and just grab one to take for lunch. Soups also.
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
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    One of my go to meals is sauteed vegetables with either rice and beans or over pasta

    You can usually find carrots, broccoli and peppers that are decent quality and price this time of year. If your store has good zucchini, that is awesome to sautee as well.

    Last night's dinner was Mediterranean Vegetable penne with Penne from Clean EAting - it was yummy. IT was bascially 2 chopped tomatoes with garlic, balsamic vinegar and some spices, penne and canellini beans and sauteed pepper and zucchini all tossed together with feta cheese. You can find the complete recipe in this month's issue. I am planning to bring leftovers for lunch today.
  • Bzbear2
    Bzbear2 Posts: 109
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    I make salads with winter greens and veggies! in season right now:

    - kale
    - endive
    - mangold
    - spinach
    - swiss chard
    . kohlrabi
    - cabbage
    - celery root
    - fennel
    - radishes (including daikon)
    - turnips (raw or cooked)

    add the following:

    - shredded beets
    - chopped apples
    - pears
    -carrots
    - onion
    - cheese
    cauliflower
    -broccoli
    - lemon juice, olive oil, salt
    - cooked grains (like wheat berries, quinoa, brown rice)

    try these combinations:

    kale with pecorino and lemon (if kale is too tough for you, try "massaging" it with a bit of olive oil and salt. DELISH!)
    beets with sauteed onions
    asian cabbage salad with rice noodles and peanuts, shredded, daikon, carrot, sesame..
    orange, olive and fennel salad with arugula
    kohlrabi slaw with apples
    chicoree salad with pears and blue cheese

    YUM! some recipes for the above here: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/gallery-10-winter-salads-to-eat-right-now-071773 and http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/10-winter-salads-recipe-roundup-105773
  • fitbot
    fitbot Posts: 406
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    beets are so underrated


    another really healthy thing to eat in the winter is sauerkraut. tons of vitamin C, really full of fibre, filling, yet 34 calories a cup.
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 527 Member
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    soup all the way!! I have soup everyday in the week during the winter. (are you from the UK?) if so there is a brilliant book i got called "500 soups" some of them are quite fatty but all the nutritional info is in there and so just pick and choose. I make a batch on a sunday night and it feeds me till Thursday lunch and on friday I'll either treat myself to a sandwhich or i have salad (rocket, cucumber, tomatoes and some chicken or bacon).

    Its in the summer i struggle. I can't have salad every day as I get to Thursday and the lettuce actually makes me gag!! so any summer alternatives to salad would be welcome!?
  • Bzbear2
    Bzbear2 Posts: 109
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    @finnhead - here is an article about vegan lunch ideas with some good tips http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/veganism/10-vegan-lunch-ideas-114283

    and this article about brown bag lunches: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/brown-bag-meals/brown-bag-it-14-great-ideas-for-weekday-lunches-125812

    (GOTTA LOVE THEKITCHN!)
  • Kamixa
    Kamixa Posts: 18
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    Wow! thanks for all the great ideas! I def love the idea of using some of the veggies that are in season. I'm going to make a couple soups this weekend and use the freezing idea too! BTW, I am from the US, not the UK =). Roasted veggies sounds absolutely delish as does the butternut squash soup mmm.

    Thanks again!

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