30 Day Salad Challenge

sblackbear8
sblackbear8 Posts: 51 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I decided to create my own challenge... since it is a challenge for me... to eat salads for both Lunch and Dinner. I did it yesterday and I feel great today. Every evening, I'm prepping my salads so they are waiting for me in the fridge and I don't have to worry about making them. I hope it works!

Day 1 salads:
Lunch: romaine lettuce, 3 pieces of bacon (crumbled), 1/4 cup of cheese, fat free ranch, tomatoes, cucumbers.
Dinner: Spinach, 3 pieces of bacon (crumbled), 1/4 cup of cheese, light zesty Italian, tomatoes, cucumbers.

If you have ideas for salads, please let me know or feel free to share links! Gracias!

Replies

  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I don't bring salads to work for lunch, so I usually just have salads for dinner except on weekends. I love (and crave) salads, and they are so fast and easy when you pre-prep everything. I don't mind eating the same thing all the time, so my salads are very repetitive: lettuce, 5 oz chicken (grilled or cooked in a crockpot with beer, cumin and chili powder), half an avocado, red onion (2 slices ish), half a red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and a homemade dressing from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and horseradish mustard.
  • nklunk
    nklunk Posts: 149 Member
    I will sometimes take a couple of pieces of chicken and bake them in hot sauce and then add them to my salad. When I do this I don't even add dressing which saves me calories:) Another great idea is using lean beef or ground turkey and making a taco salad. I go through at least 2 to 3 bags of salad a week. Good luck!!
  • PicklePlum
    PicklePlum Posts: 192 Member
    My favorite salad is similar to a Waldorf salad:

    - Salad greens tossed with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice blend (sometimes walnut/olive oil)
    - 1/4 c sliced grapes or sliced apple
    - 4 oz chicken (I usually bake a bunch and refridgerate)
    - 0.5 -1 oz goat cheese
    - sliced celery stick
    - TBS walnut pieces
  • sblackbear8
    sblackbear8 Posts: 51 Member
    These are great ideas. I never thought of marinating my chicken so I don't have to use dressing. I have never tried goat cheese either... looks like I have some new options.
  • diva7531
    diva7531 Posts: 20 Member
    I do a LOT of what I call "garbage salads" where I put leftovers in the salad. The favorite for everyone who has tried it is the Avocado Salad. I crumble about 3 slices of Turkey baconin to a salad with romaine, spinach and some carrots, celery, zucchini and cucumber. Then I chop the salad, mash an avocado and mix the whole thing together. The avocado becomes the dressing and the turkey bacon gives it the saltiness it needs.

    I also do chopped Harvest Land chicken burgers in a salad, that always tastes great. Sometimes I add roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and hearts of palm. Sometimes you don't need a dressing. Good Luck wit the challenge.
  • mair123
    mair123 Posts: 50 Member
    I naturally like to eat salads. However, up until recently I never understood the fruit/nut combos I often see. However, I have started to add craisins and goat cheese to mine- which I now love. I LOVE the salads at Chipotle and have tried to recreate a healthier version of their dressing. Below is the recipe I found online. Instead I switch the measurements for the oil and the vinegar. I try to do about a 1/4 cup of olive oil and add some water. Very salty, so play around with what works for you!

    1/2 cup red wine vinegar
    1/3 cup honey
    1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
    2 tablespoons kosher salt (if using table salt, only 1 tablespoon)
    1 teaspoon pepper
    1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
    1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • sblackbear8
    sblackbear8 Posts: 51 Member
    Ohhh zucchini ... that sounds amazing!
  • sblackbear8
    sblackbear8 Posts: 51 Member
    Thank you for that recipe! I will definitely be trying it!
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    I like to add pecans to my salads in place of croutons. Buy them from the baking aisle to reduce the amount of extras like salts and sugars added. And generally the generic brands have the smaller pecans than name brands, which I prefer (my preference is for pecan half's instead of bits and pieces). Pair the pecans with some grilled chicken and you have a pretty tasty satisfying salad.
  • mwooderson
    mwooderson Posts: 254 Member
    I bring a salad everyday for lunch and always include a protein with lunch. I choose greens that are deep in color (spinach, herb mix, spring mix) and blend in a bit of romaine or butter lettuce for crunch. Then around 5 veggies (mushrooms, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, red/yellow/green peppers, asparagus, kol rhabi, celery, carrots, jicama, broccoli, cauliflower - white or purple, etc) I try to eat a rainbow of colors. Then I usually have cottage cheese and salmon. Go easy on cheese, dressings, croutons, etc. they can add TONS of empty calories!
  • jennarae51
    jennarae51 Posts: 2
    I am not a vegan but I love vegan salad dressings bought at whole foods! I could not believe how low they are in calories and fat! I thought I had to give up caesar dressing and it is my favorite ,but the whole foods vegan caesar has 25 calories per serving .5 of fat! and it is so delish .Just a suggestion if you are a dressing lover like me.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    Of course, as you probably already know, there are some VERY unhealthy salads out there. Just keep an eye on what sort of toppings (cheese, dressing, etc) you put on.

    But what I really came to say is that you need to make sure you're getting enough protein - obviously chicken is easy, but you could probably also go with salmon, shrimp, tuna, even a steak salad. Or add nuts/beans/etc. If you eat your salad and find you're still hungry, upping the protein will probably help. Good luck!
  • sblackbear8
    sblackbear8 Posts: 51 Member
    Amazing ideas! I'm definitely going to add more ingredients to my fridge and have to check out these light dressings they sell! Tuna and mushrooms on a salad sounds fabulous (and yes I'm serious... two of my favorite foods but never thought to put them on my salads...)!

    Thanks!

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