what do you like on your salad?

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i have gotten stuck in a rut eating campbell's and progresso light soups at lunch...too much damn sodium and BORING!!! i am eating through all of my "diet" lunches and snacks and switching to all whole foods. i eat only whole foods at home, and just fell into the pre-packaged stuff to bring to work because it's easy. anyway...salads are easy too, and easy to make a different one every day...so what do you like on your salad??
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Replies

  • kicklikeaGIRL
    kicklikeaGIRL Posts: 867 Member
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    Usually I eat leftovers from a healthy meal I prepared the night before. That may help you out too in your quest to find some variety!

    But, as far as salads go...I looove my salads as well! Lately this has been my favorite:

    spinach leaves
    mango halves (usually in lite syrup because they aren't in season here...and I don't use the syrup, just take out 4-5 slices)
    about 5 almonds (gives some crunch- substitues for the croutons)
    about 2 TBSP shredded swiss cheese
    and some Kraft Creamy Poppyseed dressing (usually only need about 1/2 TBSP)


    I also like to do an easy taco salad:
    romaine lettuce
    2 TBSP shredded cheddar cheese
    chopped red & green peppers
    ground lean beef
    pico de gallo or salsa
  • semperfiwife
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    I like green peppers, tomatoes, onion, pickles, green olives, black olives, mushrooms, shredded carrot, and cucumber :) with fat free italian dressing and just a shot of pepper, no salt. :)
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
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    EVERYTHING!
    Grilled Chicken
    Ground Turkey
    Deli Turkey
    Low Fat Turkey Bacon
    Low Fat cheese
    mushrooms
    Tomatoes
    Cucumbers
    Tabouli
    Green Peppers
    Reb Peppers
    Garbanzo Beans
    Kidney Beans
    Sprouts
    Spinach
    Balsamic Vinegar mixed with Olive oil, Olive Oil Mixed with Italian Seasoning, Salad Spritzers and Low Fat Ranch
    jalapenos or other peppers
    Jamaica
    salsa
    pinto beans
    olives


    I could really keep going!
  • AmberElaine84
    AmberElaine84 Posts: 964 Member
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    I like mine simple....lettuce, a few baby carrots, a few slices of cucumber, bacon bits, and an egg. All with 2 tablespoons of fat free italian dressing. I have gotten into a routine of eating the same thing every day for lunch and I feel lost without my daily salad!!
  • shells22
    shells22 Posts: 56 Member
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    as much spinach or romaine lettuce or broccoli slaw
    4 broken walnuts
    3 sliced strawberries
    a pinch of dried cranberries
    teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
    chicken optional.

    Y-U-M.
  • romst19
    romst19 Posts: 100 Member
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    Lately I've been making a salad I love. Lettuce, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, grilled chicken, and an ounce of pepper jack cheese. I use lite Italian dressing. Yum!
  • SageGoddess320
    SageGoddess320 Posts: 2,589 Member
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    Grilled chicken, Feta and Sunflower Kernals.

    edit: I'm having trouble spelling today.
  • da4uvus
    da4uvus Posts: 3 Member
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    If you have a Trader Joe's near you I realy like the pre-packaged salad that has cranberry's, candied pecans, blue cheese and a rasberry vinegarette dressing, I usually add a little chicken if I'm craving protein. It will usually last me about 4 meals.

    A couple other simple and easy salads are: red leaf lettuce, basil chopped, low fat mozerrella cheese cut into pieces and strawberries. I make my own dressing using equal parts of balsamic vinegar and EVOO with salt and pepper to season.

    The other salad is spinach, chicken, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds and I love to use Feast From The East orange sesame dressing.
  • EternalLife
    EternalLife Posts: 31 Member
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    Lettuce of any variety
    Rocket
    Olives
    Apple
    Coleslaw (if I have the calories)
    Carrot
    Baby beetroot
    Strawberries
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
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    Emily,

    I LOVE getting creative with my salads! Some of my favorites:
    raw baby spinach
    mandarine orange slices
    halved grapes
    sliced strawberries
    diced apples
    ham
    cheese
    boiled egg
    chicken (broiled or grilled - not fried!!! yuck)
    any veggie produce particularly home grown
    artichoke hearts
    crab meat
    shrimp (the itty bitty baby ones, like what comes in a can)
    craisins
    slivered almonds (some people like walnuts - I don't)

    other things that would be good if you like them (which I don't!)
    blueberries
    raspberries
    walnuts (hehe)
    bacon (turkey, light) cooked crunchy and crumbled rather than the jarred stuff
    pepperoni
    olives (green or black - I don't know which is better for you)

    I could probably come up with more on either list... as long as I have a leafy green, I can make a salad!! Doesn't matter if it's a particular type of lettuce or raw spinach.

    Here's a particular favorite of mine but you'll want to modify the dressing to a low-cal/low fat version:

    Baby spinach bed
    mandarin orange slices
    almond slivers
    sesame dressing (the sweet kind)

    It's almost a dessert salad! YUM!!! But look at the nutrition you're getting!! :-)

    Have fun and get creative! ;-)

    Oh - balsamic vinegar and extra, extra virgin olive oil. Very tasty dressing, very easy to make at home.
  • bebhinn
    bebhinn Posts: 198
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    My FAVOURITE thing right now is taco salad.

    2-3 cups iceberg
    1/2-3/4 cup of extra lean ground beef cooked/drained and then the old elpaso less salt seasoning on it.
    1-2 tbsp shreeded cheddar
    1-2 tbsp kraft fat free catalina
    and one or two hard taco shells crunched up.

    It is an IMMENSE amount of food and SO delish! And, not that many cal!!
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
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    tomatoes
    feta cheese
    chickpeas
    avocado
    chicken or turkey breast
    hard boiled eggs
    slivered almonds
    sweet peppers

    dressing is usually a mix of olive or canola oil with red, white or balsamic vinegar
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
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    I like mine simple....lettuce, a few baby carrots, a few slices of cucumber, bacon bits, and an egg. All with 2 tablespoons of fat free italian dressing. I have gotten into a routine of eating the same thing every day for lunch and I feel lost without my daily salad!!

    Mmm, can I have a bitey? :)

    If it's a meal, chicken, egg, real bacon bits (not imitation), and crutons.
  • McFatterton
    McFatterton Posts: 1,358 Member
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    I've been eating A LOT of salads lately - my two new salad obsessions are (unsalted) sunflower kernels and Bolthouse Farms yogurt dressing. Other faves include:

    Black beans
    Corn
    Feta Cheese
    Cheddar Cheese
    Pepperjack Cheese
    ok, really any kind of cheese :wink:
    Cucumbers
    Onion
    Dried Cherries/Cranberries
    Nuts
    Homemade croutons
    Green Peppers

    Possibilities are endless!
  • innerhottie
    innerhottie Posts: 163 Member
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    romaine, cucumber, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, bananna peppers, mushrooms, and strawberries or pineapple!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    romaine lettuce, black olives, cherry tomatos and a light italian dressing. I only eat it as a side salad though. It's not my whole meal. It's a nice filler without adding too many calories.
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
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    Baby spinach, grape tomatoes, shredded carrot, cucumber, sometimes some sweet peppers, a little bit of sharp cheddar, and honey mustard salad spritzer.
  • catherine1979
    catherine1979 Posts: 704 Member
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    My favourite salad is a bed of baby arugula topped with some toasted walnuts, butternut squash that has been baked with a little maple syrup, a little fresh Parmesan cheese, and an apple cider vinaigrette.

    I also like baby arugula with tomato, cucumber, mango, blueberry, and green onion with a blueberry vinaigrette.
  • melissa97
    melissa97 Posts: 57 Member
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    My favorite salad is Baby romaines, boiled egg, cheddar cheese, ham or chicken 0r steak (pretty much what ever is left over in fridge), bacon bite, sunflower kernals with redwine vinagar and olive oil dressing. I used to throw some salad toppersand croutons on it which make it taste sooo much better but i guess its time to say goodbye to them!!
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    i'm a spring greens salad mix kinda girl. :)

    -blue cheese, sliced pears and a lite italian vinegarette

    -feta, sliced chicken, cubed apples and the juice from half a lemon (with salt and pepper)

    -dried blueberies, deli turkey, cucumber and litehouse blueberry pomagranate dressing

    -black beans, 4 nacho doritos crushed, tomatos, colby jack shredded cheese and dorothy lynch dressing

    -chili, chips cheese and sour cream over lettuce

    -mandarin oranges, crasins, almonds and a raspberry-lime vinegarette

    -spagetti squash, bacon, almonds with the juice from rotel as a spicy dressing

    -sliced strawberrys, blanched onions, walnuts and hot bacon over spinach (using the bacon fat to wilt the spinach)

    -chorizo, green peppers and jimaca over spinach with rice vinegar and sugar dressing

    -shredded carrots, raisins and pecans with yogurt and cinnamon dressing

    -green onion, pepperoni/salami, black olives, mushrooms, parmesan in marinara (for pizza salad)

    -hard-boiled egg, sharp cheddar cheese and salsa as dressing

    -grapes, sliced peaches, sunflower seeds using cottage cheese as dressing

    you can make any combination work!