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Salad Ideas?

cmccoy0901

I love having salads, but I'm wanting some new ideas to change my salads up and have a variety of salads.

Replies

Gidzmo

I don't know what you are putting in your salads now. What I like in mine:
--beans (garbanzo, kidney, green, or black)--good for protein
--different lettuce (romaine, red or green-leaf, or even spinach)
--tomatoes (and they don't only come in red)
--onions (brown, white, red, or green)

Some ideas to add crunch: canned chow-mein noodles or water chestnuts
Try some artichoke hearts or olives.

ritasice21

I like to add craisins, chicken, apples, and nuts. Even a spoonful makes a huge difference in taste and does not inflate calories much.

kannemollen

looooove me some salads!
beans beans beans! i put kidney and black in most of my salads

i also try to switch up what kind of veggies i'm using and what type of other protein - sometimes i use raw canned tuna or salmon, different seasoned chicken breasts, eggs, etc.

AND what i use for dressing changes on a daily basis as well. i love using salsa or low calorie (and short ingredient list) marinades. they might be a little higher in sodium but i use way less and they're super flavorful! stubbs has a few that are decent and lawry's has a white wine and herb or something like that that's REALLY zesty!

enjoy!!

chrisdavey

I go minimal.

$hitload of lettuce + some sort of marinated chicken. Sometimes bacon salt & lemon juice.

windycitycupcake

you can shred cabbage, beets and carrots for a nice crunch...i also replace salad dressing with fat free cottage cheese and lemon juice, a can of tuna and lemon juice, pureed silken tofu with lemon juice and spices...you can take a chicken boullion cube and dissolve it (5 calories) and add it to cottage cheese or silken tofu and its yummy and creamy.

CkepiJinx

Grilled meats for protein. Also grill some of the veggies ESP cauliflower,peppers, green beans. Try a variety of different greens. Add some fruits like berries or mandarins oranges, apples. Walnuts, feta cheese or blue cheese.i like a variety of veggies in my salads peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, olives. As for dressings I personally have found that I don't notice a taste difference in light dressings, but don't really like the fat free ones so I recommend trying light versions of dressings you like.

stagegoddess

i like romaine lettuce and spinach.

add corn, shredded carrots, peas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, canned tuna or chicken, raisins/crasins, hard boiled egg bits, edamame, and something crunchy like croutons or crispy noodles. yummy yum yum

CynthiasChoice

This might sound weird, but I like a healthy version of refried beans over romaine.
Or a healthy version of chili on top of raw spinach.
Add a little salsa and black olives. Yum!

Gidzmo

"you can take a chicken boullion cube and dissolve it"

Sounds good, Windy--but don't the boullion cubes have a ton of sodium?

Gidzmo

This might sound weird, but I like a healthy version of refried beans over romaine.
Or a healthy version of chili on top of raw spinach.
Add a little salsa and black olives. Yum!

Sounds like a taco salad! Ole!

duckieee

My absolute favorite salad: Poppyseed dressing - like half a serving, some grilled chicken bits, lettuce, strawberry slices, and blueberries! Hits the spot on warm summer days!

SeekSunshine

I just joined here, but I have a couple of tricks to keep salads interesting.

First, I will grill chicken breasts after marinating in different flavors. I grill them at the beginning of week and they are good all week. You get the great flavor added to any salad and it's much more economical than prepackaged and processed meet. Great for salads, snacks, etc.

FRUITS. I tend to use fruits in every third salad. It keeps them "fresh" in my mind and I balance the sugars with proteins.

Greens: I mix them up from baby wild greens to romaine to spinach.

Favorites:

strawberry/goat cheese/ poppy seed dressing & almonds
chicken/mandarin orange/cashew/
Chicken or Shrimp/carrots/ginger dressing
chicken/shaved parmesan/black olive/tomato
Pears/gorgonzola *(a bit, just for flavor heightening)/walnut- balsamic type dressings
mexican flair (avocado/kidney bean) - low cal homemade ranch variation dressings
Roasted Red Pepper/Artichoke/garbonzo beans (parmesan, if feeling the need for cheese)

Go to Epicurious or Yummly or some other site and find ten salad dressings that may be tasty to you. Instead of buying them in the store, make a fresh version at home that is health conscious and tasty to you. I know, I am a salad dressing snob...the only dressing I buy is Brianna's Poppyseed dressing. You can work miracles for creamy dressings with plain yogurt and be surprised at how little oil you must use to make a tasty Italian or vinagrette at home.

If I must have cheese (and I often must) I stick to white cheeses, in general. A tablespoon of GoatCheese is more flavorful to me than half a cup of cheddar...and MUCH better for me. But, you have to find what works for you.

RubyRubixcube

saving this thread for later ^_^

I've found myself hooked on beetroot lately, so I'm going to try a beetroot, four bean mix, corn salad with tuna or fetta cheese to bulk it up. Might throw some capsicum and roasted pumpkin in there too

midcenturymodern69

I've been loving spring greens with beets, red onion and feta cheese. Yum!

dbrakora

I used to only eat Brianna's poppyseed too, it is still a favorite, but have also discovered Litehouse Honey Dijon light in the produce cooler. I like it as much as the poppy seed but it is way less fat etc... Consider trying it!

ravikrishna

l love Greek Salad very much and is quite easy to prepare. On top of that, its very healthy with Olives/Olive oil and Feta Cheese.

andreamaurine

My fave salad combo right now is shredded romaine, halved cherry tomatoes, a few chunks of avocado (adds creaminess so you don't need as much dressing), orange bell pepper and a half serving of brianna's poppyseed. SO GOOD.

I also really like Bolthouse yogurt dressings. At my store they are in the produce section by the lettuce (refrigerated). A 2 tbs serving is around 45 calories. You can't beat that.

When you eat salad it is good to remember you do need a bit of healthy fats to help your body absorb the nutrients from the greens. Don't be afraid of a tiny bit of olive oil, avocado, or nuts!

RainHoward

You can find some fantastic ideas on allrecipes.com
I like grilled chicken or beef in my salad, different fruits, grapes, strawberries, mango, what ever.
Taco salad is yummy if you pay attention to what you put in it.
Sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts, some feta and a nice vinaigrette
costco had a fabulous mango salsa that goes good over mixed greens

ggof

i love salads too and have them most lunchtimes .. i don't use leaf salads at all .. i use easy to transport and stock products like .. cucumber, beetroot (vacuum packed already cooked), onions, carrots, tomatoes, raw mushrooms, endives, red bell peppers and as protein cottage cheese or tinned tuna .. all easy to prepare at the office (i don't have time to pre-prepare in the morning, so i cut everything up at the office at lunchtime) add a little weight watcher light salad sauce (if u have the cottage cheese, u don't need much sauce) .. that works well for me .. it's crunchy and fills me more than any leaf salads do .. bon appétit !

............ oh and looking at my tracker - it works too LOLOL ;-)

SeekSunshine

That made me smile. I thought I was in my "too excited" place and talking too much

:bigsmile:

hailzp

Spinach, chick peas, tomatos, cucumber, balsamic, pumpkin seeds, flax and chia seeds, sunflower seeds, apple and awesomeness.

redfroggie

I make a base salad: Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion and salad crisp corn.
I then mix in stuff during the week to keep it interesting, like grilled chicken, mandarin orange segments,
seed mix (sesame, pumkin) tuna and reduced fat grilled halloumi and grilled salmon. Simples!

floridaboater

I love big salads as I don't like sandwiches. Sometimes I go to restaurant websites and get ideas from their salads but some of my favorites are:
-romaine, cherry tomatoes, cukes, onion, steak and blue cheese with ranch or vinegrette
-romaine, chicken, onions, tomatoes, cukes, feta cheese and Greek dressing
-romaine, avocado, onion, tomatoes, lean ground beef, cheddar cheese and ranch
-romaine, avocado, onion, tomatoes, cukes, turkey bacon, grilled shrimp, feta and fav dressing

I always add protein...keeps me fuller.

Thanks for posting this!

lisamerrison

keeping this post for laterz xx

Gidzmo

I make a base salad: Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion and salad crisp corn.
I then mix in stuff during the week to keep it interesting, like grilled chicken, mandarin orange segments,
seed mix (sesame, pumkin) tuna and reduced fat grilled halloumi and grilled salmon. Simples!

There is also the canned baby corn (usually used in oriental food).

Ange03063

I just found this link from prevention.com today. It has recipes for 12 different salads that all look yummy!

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/12-hunger-fighting-power-salads/southwestern-grilled-chicken-salad

astrylian

I usually ALWAYS have cucumber/tomato in my salad. Usually a light salad dressing - Italian or Sesame Ginger.

I also like adding about 6 baby carrots for crunch, slivered almonds, tuna/salmon for protein value, sometimes soy chorizo, and something sweet like dried cranberries or mandarin oranges.

saraann4

I really love a classic chef salad

Lauran845

I love buffalo chicken salads. I use the canned chicken (in the grocery store next to the tuna) and mix in a couple teaspoons of buffalo wing sauce (the one I use is about 5 calories a serving) and come lunch time I warm the chicken, throw it over some lettuce (any kind will work) and if I am feeling generous with my calories I will add a serving or two of ranch dressing. I LOVE IT!!

Another non-salad Salad that I like is a whole bag of broccoli slaw (in the produce section) sauteed with a TON of black pepper and about two tbsp. of butter until soft. OMG!! It is very similar to the inside of an egg roll, minus the greasy, deep fried shell and it actually makes a very large serving for only 200 calories. You can probably substitute the butter for olive oil or a small amount of stock, but I eat pretty low fat in general so I consider that negligible. If you really want to splurge, throw some shredded cheddar on top and it is AMAZING!!! Like a super gourment cheese and broccoli.

sharleengc

I mix bbq sauce and light ranch to make dressing for grilled chicken salad. I just put on the chicken and the dressing (measured out of course) then depending on my calorie goal for the day, sometimes add cheese or other yummies!