Salad help needed!

cariad920
cariad920 Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all, this might seem a bit odd but I have always struggled to find a diet plan which doesn't have an emphasis on eating salad as I have never eaten although I have tried at various stages in my life.
I would really like to try find some ideas for ingredients I could use in a salad which might encourage my brain to accept it as I always like the look of the meal and have found myself getting envious of others who can stomach them.
I like most other foods and pretty much all veg which should help.
Any suggestions would be gratefully received...I hope this post makes some sense to someone!

Replies

  • 20tulipgirl20
    20tulipgirl20 Posts: 99
    Buffalo Chicken Salad- my new favorite

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/healthy-appetite-with-ellie-krieger-/buffalo-chicken-salad-recipe/index.html
  • michellelhartwig
    michellelhartwig Posts: 486 Member
    You can make a great salad with whatever greens you have...I love to add purple cabbage as well as lots of different veggies. You can add any kind of meat to a salad. Add nuts, dried fruits, fresh berries...the sky is the limit!
  • omlin
    omlin Posts: 12
    I hear ya. I find the dressing makes a big difference too. Store bought dressings are often full of fat. I like adding salmon to my salads and using a balsamic vinegar for dressing. Also, apple & feta with walnuts is delicious on any kind of lettuce. Try tossing with cooked grains such as cous cous or quinoa - really anything goes as long as you watch the carbs/fats. :)
  • Andreinne
    Andreinne Posts: 32
    Well, you said you like veggies, right? so buy a wide variety of veggies, and nuts, and experiment. Salads can be boring, but they can also be really fun and interesting, if you use the right ingredients. There's a lot of salad recipes out there on the internet, and there's always something you can use to make a salad that you never considered before. You just need to make yourself a list of any fruits and vegetables you like best, and see if you can combine them into a salad (during the summer, for example, I love adding apple to most salads I make)
    hope this helps a little....
  • schenzy
    schenzy Posts: 19
    I add Roma tomatoes, avocado, corn, black beans, salsa, and a dab of reduced fat sour cream. I have started buying Hearts of Romaine lettuce as well and find that I like it better.
  • guitarist777
    guitarist777 Posts: 9
    Salad Is an Awesome and exciting part of a healthy diet !!! The fun thing about salad is that you can put whatever the hell you want in it. Salads come in all different types, but most people just picture a boring and bland lettuce dish :( TRY THESE
    # Grated cheese
    #Feta crumbles
    # goat cheese
    # pistachios ( this ones good with a vinegrette)
    # walnuts
    # shredded carrots
    # black pepper
    # croutons
    # Try making your own dressing
    # meats
    # herbs/spinach
    #egg

    And then theres all the salads that arent green : chicken salad , tuna salad , egg salad. Get inventive and try new things to change up the textures and mix in lots of color! a colorful diet is a healthy diet you know. :)

    hope this helps -Ian
  • yvonne802
    yvonne802 Posts: 1
    I like carrot salads. Shred carrots and add apples or pineapple or raisins or all three. Walnuts are also good. Squeeze juice from half a lemon for a single serve and a tiny amount of grapeseed oil. For a larger salad use a little more oil.
  • codylee98
    codylee98 Posts: 37 Member
    I like adding fruit and nuts like apples, strawberries and craisins are good, too.
  • sjeannot
    sjeannot Posts: 143
    I love salads. I like to add chick peas, black olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted peppers and feta. I usually do not add meat to them and substitute with maybe fish, seafood, beans or nuts.
  • strivingfor130
    strivingfor130 Posts: 221 Member
    My favorite salad is made with romaine lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, asiago cheese, grilled chicken, almonds, and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I also like to add dried cranberries and apples to my salads. Tuna is also a good add in for a more vegetable based salad. For vegetables, I'm pretty picky so I usually just stick to raw mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, cucumber, tomato, and cauliflower, but the sky is the limit when adding in veggies :)
  • justinscott
    justinscott Posts: 1
    I usually have basics that I put in most my salads, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, and mushrooms. But add different additional toppings to make unique salads.
    For example, if I am craving chili, one canned serving is around 250 calories and the portions are so small, I rarely find it satisfying. So I'll take HALF of the suggested serving (125 calories) and top my basic salad with it. And I get a chili salad with less fat, sodium, calories, and get the bonus of eating the raw veggies I should.

    If I'm craving tacos, I'll top a salad with taco seasoned beef, 4 crumbled tortilla chips, and salsa That way I get the favor and taste I'm looking for in a satisfying quantity, without eating 3 or 4 tacos that are topped with cheese and sour cream.

    I don't use cheese in my salads anymore. My brain tells me it should be in there, but I don't even miss it when I'm eating my salad because the other flavors usually over power the cheese anyway.

    I LOVE having my basic salads drenched in dressing, so I add water to the dressing so it coats the entire salad better

    I try not to double up proteins, so if I insist on cheese, then no meats or nuts in the salad, and vice versa.

    I am currently doing nutrisystem so I will literally add the lunch or dinner(tuna salad, black beans and rice, etc.) on top of my base salad.

    The goal is to make a salad only be 200-250 calories, because I eat six times a day.
  • grantsmommy
    grantsmommy Posts: 29 Member
    I'm eating my fav salad right now! lol It's baby spinach, tomato, green bell pepper, cucumber, grilled chicken, and (my absolutely fav dressing!) Newman's Own Balsamic Vinegar. Yum! I also like to add feta cheese and fresh fruit in my salads.
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
    If you have a food processor, chuck all the ingredients in with a spoonful of dressing and it shreds it all and makes the dressing go much further. Even my dad eats salad if I do that to it!

    Except tomatoes, put them on at the end!
  • cariad920
    cariad920 Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you all for your advice...I'm going to tackle my salad 'phobia' head on today!

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