There's got to be an easier salad ... right?

I like fruit in mine -- strawberries and/or apples, pecans, cucumbers, chicken breast and thinly sliced red onion.

I've got kids, so if I don't feel like grilling up fresh chicken breast just for a salad, I'll sometimes cut up 3 or 4 chicken nuggets into my salad, too. It makes me feel like I'm committing a small, forgiveable sin..... :smooched:

Even though a lot of people I know snub it for looking like cat food (psssh, whatever...), I *love* those little flavoured tuna cans (they're the little 85g ones)--no refrigeration required, and the sauce the come in serves as a dressing for the salad. There's so many flavours that you can switch up a few ingredients and make a totally different salad... for example, today I'm using lettuce, celery, peppers, and tomato tuna, but I also have spicy thai, so you could use lettuce, cashews, and some fresh basil with that.

I also like "fruit salads"--spinach, pineapple chunks, canned mandarin orange segments, and raspberry dressing, with toasted nuts (or candied nuts, if you want a real treat).

Of course, there's always the old standby, the chicken caesar... you could try swapping the chicken for salmon or a bean mixture.

Good luck!

I am not someone to ask about salad ingredients, but I'll post anyway, because someone might like the idea. Chinese tea eggs, sliced up on top (don't need salt or dressing with those, at least not for me). Pickles (as in, pickled cauliflower, pickled garlic, etc), kimchee (oh yeah, that's good stuff). Basically, anything that has enough flavor that you don't need dressing, but is still healthy on its own.

Goat Cheese is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G...try it and see.

You can definitely change up the flavor by different kinds of dressings...

I have a salad rotation I do...

- Greek salad (feta, black olives, cucumbers, romaine, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken w/ vinegarette)
- Curried chicken salad (grilled chicken made curry style, celery, halved grapes, red onions, raisins, slivered almonds over romaine w/ a yogurt curry dressing)
- Bruschetta salad (chopped tomatoes, basil, red onions that have been marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar over romaine lettuce)
- Asian salad (shredded cabbage or asian slaw, peanuts, shredded carrots w/ ginger dressing)
- Ceviche salad (chopped cooked shrimp, chopped red onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado, chopped cucumber, all marinated in a lime/orange/lemon juice with olive oil dressing over romaine)

The list goes on and on...I get a lot of ideas from www.cookinglight.com. Salads don't have to be boring, or using Wishbone Italian dressing! LOL

I love Greek salad

Tomatoes (either a big beef tomato cut into chunks or cherry / baby plum ones cut in half), cucumber cut into chunks, crumbled feta cheese, black olives (I don't like olives so I miss this out and add a little extra cheese!), lettuce. Put it into a bowl and then sprinkle a little dried oregano or other mixed dried herbs over it and then pour on a tiny bit of olive oil (I can get away with about 3g / 3ml) and a bit more white wine vinegar.

I just discovered a great one that is very filling, tasty and low cal :bigsmile:
Eata Fajita Salad - (From Crazy Plates)
(Warm chicken fajita salad with a chili-lime dressing)

½ cup of low fat sour cream
2-1/2 tbsp. Lime juice
1 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. each of chili powder and ground cumin
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into thin strips
1 cup each of sliced green and red bell peppers
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
½ cup of salsa
2 tbsp. chopped fresh calintro
8 cups of shredded romaine lettuce
½ cup of shredded reduced low-fat cheddar cheese (2 oz)

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and 1-1/2 tbsp. Of lime juice, sugar, chili powder, and cumin. Refrigerate dressing until ready to use.

Spray a large, non-stick wok or skillet with non-sticking spray. Add the chicken. Continue to cook over medium –high heat until the chicken is no longer pink and it appears lightly browned. Add the peppers and the onions. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add salsa and cook for 2 more minutes.

Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp. of limejuice and cilantro. Mix well and remove from heat.

To assemble salad, divide the lettuce among 4 serving plates. Top it with the warm chicken mixture. Spoon dressing over the salad. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

I love a "traditional" salad; however, when I feel like adding something additional I like to add various types of bean. Black beans are my favorite, but I have also added white bean and garbanzo beans. They add a new kind of twist, plus you get extra protein and fiber!!

Oh.. maybe try a new salad dressing, that might help make an old dog new again!

Since the massive recall of the bagged salad stuff in the stores for bacterial contamination I keep regular romaine and iceburg in the fridge. I wash it well, drain it, chop/tear it and toss it in the sink full of ice water and wash it again. I let it drain well (salad spinners rock!) and bag it with a couple paper towels. It keeps for a week in the crisper with the bag very lightly twisted shut. I also do this with baby spinach leaves. Then I have the base for what ever I desire to throw into it for a salad.

My favorite for the spinach is raisins, slivered almonds and boiled egg. Anything will go in a regular salad... left over grilled chicken, turkey taco meat, cottage cheese, beans, turkey chili, chunky spaghetti sauce... what ever I have.

Bump

I tried a new one last night which was gorgeous:

250g cherry tomatoes
1/2 a chopped cucumber
2 diced red peppers
1 can of drained kidney beans
1 can of drained sweetcorn
4 chopped spring onions

for dressing:

1 tsp. tabasco sauce
4 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin

it makes four servings, 170 calories each. I ate mine with grilled mackerel and sweet potato mash, was lovely. I'm going to eat the rest tonight with grilled chicken.