What do you put in your salads?

Options
elebel82
elebel82 Posts: 69 Member
Hi all, it's summer where I'm at, and I love using salads for meals. However I'm bored with my usual (or in danger of becoming so) and need new ideas. I have Oral Allergy Syndrome which means my mouth puffs up at lots of different kinds of raw/unprocessed foods (cucumber, tomato, avocado, carrot, most fruits,) as well as a seperate more severe allergy to walnuts, and brazil nuts, so sometimes the options seem limited. However I was at a friend's house yesterday and she made 2 amazing salads using things like green beans, peas, mint , beetroot, capsicum, gherkins, all sorts of things I'd never have considered, and I became inspired to come up with new staples. However I'm more of a copier than a creator.

So... what do you put in yours?

Replies

  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    Options
    Salad? That's what my food eats.

    But when I do eat salad, I include a lot of dead animal on top of it. And crinkle some bacon it, and melt cheese, generally make some kind of nachos. Veggies? Avocado, tomato, grated and diced carrots, mushrooms, nori wraps, capsicum and onion.
    Omnom. Nom nom.
  • beckimj
    beckimj Posts: 186 Member
    Options
    I like a little sweet to balance my vegetables, so I usually add craisins or raisins. I don't know if this fits with your food restrictions, but I also like a little crunch and add sunflower seeds or almonds pieces. I also like pea pods, hard boiled eggs, chicken breast, white turkey meat, chow mein noodles (in place of croutons), along with the usual suspects (carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, etc).
  • electriq
    electriq Posts: 359 Member
    Options
    First of all, great topic! I will be keeping an eye on this thread myself.
    Not all at once but ingredients I have and do use are:
    Spinach, variety of lettuces especially rocket, celery, carrot, grated beetroot, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pine-nuts (toasted), roasted vegetables - courgettes, pumpkin, potato, carrot, kumara, parsnip etc. I really like the hot/cold combination plus it adds variety and texture, tofu, green beans, crispy noodles, basil, parsley, coriander, avocado,
  • elebel82
    elebel82 Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    First of all, great topic! I will be keeping an eye on this thread myself.
    Not all at once but ingredients I have and do use are:
    Spinach, variety of lettuces especially rocket, celery, carrot, grated beetroot, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pine-nuts (toasted), roasted vegetables - courgettes, pumpkin, potato, carrot, kumara, parsnip etc. I really like the hot/cold combination plus it adds variety and texture, tofu, green beans, crispy noodles, basil, parsley, coriander, avocado,

    So many good ideas from everyone, but oh wow, parsnips?! Amazing. Do you let them cool first or do you use them hot?
  • eylia
    eylia Posts: 200 Member
    Options
    I always love what people throw together. The following aren't things I use all together, but they're my regular go to sort of things. I second roasted vegetables; absolutely love roasted pumpkin, peppers/capsicum, and cauliflower is really yummy too (it sounds odd, but give it a go!). Baby spinach, cos lettuce and roquette are my usual leaves. Toasted pine nuts, beetroot, snow peas and snow pea sprouts, alfalfa, edamame, pineapple, feta, smoked salmon, soba noodles, bean sprouts, dried cranberries. Fresh basil, parsley and mint are yummy too. Try playing around with things you like, or go to a website like skinnytaste and just browse the salad tab for a little bit; ridiculous how many yummy recipes are floating around at our fingertips.
  • linsey76A
    linsey76A Posts: 102
    Options
    Salad vinegar...YUMMY!
  • coffee_rocks
    coffee_rocks Posts: 275 Member
    Options
    First, love Melbourne. Visited a couple of years ago, and didn't stay long enough to take it all in. One of the most amazing cities I've ever visited.

    Salads - I like savoury, not sweet, so I'm more of a spinach and egg, or red, yellow or orange peppers, cucumber, mushrooms, green onions, green peppers (capsicum), tomato, and even bean sprouts. I usually like low-fat ranch or French dressing, though sometimes just a simple oil and vinegar with a bit of fresh cracked black pepper.

    Only breakfast time here, but now I want a salad for lunch!
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    Options
    1 ounce of the following: sliced almonds, walnut pieces, sunflower seeds
    2 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
    sliced persian cucumbers, 1 sliced red sweet pepper, about half of a red onion, 2 cups of sliced shrimp, baby spinach, kale, 3 servings of flax seed oil or olive oil, mrs. dash salt free spice, sliced cherry tomatoes, bits of sun dried tomatoes, 1/2 an avocado (small one). I take one whole lemon and I squeeze the juice all over as my "vinegar" to my oil.

    I think that's it. Tastes damn good too. Although it's pretty big and extremely filling. It takes me the whole day to eat and I'm guessing it's probably a little over 1500 calories or so. The nuts themselves add up to about 600 calories, and the avocado, cheese and oil are also pretty hefty.
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    Options
    Oh yeah forget, about 3 chopped celery stalks (long ones)
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    Options
    Sorry your allergic to so many foods. That makes it challenging. I like any kind of nuts mixed in my salad with apple slices. Feta cheese, mixed greens of any kind including broccoli slaw, some black olives, diced up red onions or shallots etc. I like to top off my salad with grilled salmon or a turkey burger and then over that some kind of salad dressing like Ken's Caesar Lite Dressing or an olive oil and vinegar dressing.
  • Ayla70
    Ayla70 Posts: 284 Member
    Options
    *bump* for later :)
  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
    Options
    a summer salad I love is baby spinach water melon and feta with a light drizzle of olive oil. sounds like a weird combo but it is so yummy!
  • SophinMaine
    SophinMaine Posts: 48 Member
    Options
    I have Oral Allergy Syndrome which means my mouth puffs up at lots of different kinds of raw/unprocessed foods (cucumber, tomato, avocado, carrot, most fruits,) as well as a seperate more severe allergy to walnuts, and brazil nuts, so sometimes the options seem limited.

    I have the same kind of allergy but only to...kiwi fruit (and sometimes, mangoes - weird).

    I'm sorry you can't eat all those things, they're really salad staples!

    Here are a few salads I make, always seasoned with balsamic vinegar, garlic, olive oil, with or without Dijon mustard, and fresh cut minced Provence herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano):

    - Mixed greens: romaine hearts, baby spinach, kale, arugula, watercress, with or without red beets

    - (autumn salad:) endives,walnuts, cut up apples

    - raw plain almonds, Romaine heart, cherry tomatoes, avocado, red peppers, with or without roasted chicken pieces.

    - (warm salad,in winter:) steamed green beans, steamed potatoes, bacon, poached eggs

    - (summer) corn, palm hearts, green olives, cherry tomatoes, tuna or salmon or crab meat

    - avocado, shrimp, grapefruit, tuna or crab meat

    - cooked rice, olives, tuna, tomatoes, red and yellow peppers

    - cut up sweet radishes and aged swiss cheese

    The possibilities are endless, really!
  • Mlkmaid
    Mlkmaid Posts: 356 Member
    Options
    Everything but the kitchen sink! But you have to be careful. Some salads are as fattening and caloric as a normal meat/veg/starch meal.