Anyway to make salads more appetizing??
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LifeLight91
Posts: 12
Hello guys!
So I basically hate eating salads but I want to start cause let's be honest they are a healthy food item.
I eat salads after adding some kind of dressing but most of the dressing are just extra calories. So what tricks do you use to make salads more appetizing or are there some dressing you can recommend?
Thanks!!
So I basically hate eating salads but I want to start cause let's be honest they are a healthy food item.
I eat salads after adding some kind of dressing but most of the dressing are just extra calories. So what tricks do you use to make salads more appetizing or are there some dressing you can recommend?
Thanks!!
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Replies
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If you have a favorite salsa, use it as a topping. They are generally super low in calories.0
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Don't force yourself to eat something you don't like. There are several other foods that are nutritious and delicious. Discover them. Food is meant to be enjoyed not forced down.
P.S. Lettuce really doesn't have much nutrition; it's mostly water so you're not missing out on anything magical.
That said, I LOVE salads! I eat a big one twice a day but only because I love the taste of vegetables. I only use olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a dash of salt, pepper and some dried basil.0 -
I recently started dressing my simple side salads with a bit of lemon juice. It gives them a nice kick.
I also love Taco style salads, so chopped tomatos, cucumbers, a FEW sprinkles of low fat shredded cheese and peppers could help.
I would also recommend trying Kale, it's very nutritious and it actually tastes good, I prefer kale over regular salads anytime!0 -
I like to change it up by adding things like dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, nuts, sesame seeds, etc. Measure all these, of course, as they can really add to the calories. But it does make the old chicken and lettuce a little more appealing, hah!0
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It's good to have some healthy fats in your diet so your hormones aren't affected so add some avocado, nuts or extra virgin olive oil/vinegar/lemon or lime juice dressing. A teaspoon of oil is not that many calories and you need the fats so enjoy!0
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I Also LOVE Salads!!!!0
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I love chipotle's burrito bowls, so I'll sometimes do a variation on that: corn (canned or roasted), sweet peppers, sauteed onions, avocado, etc etc. If you mix up the textures and flavors of your ingredients, your mouth will be much happier! Salsa's a great idea, also.0
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My favorite dressing by far. Plus I love meat on my salad. Tuna,beef,chicken. Add cheese or hard boiled eggs. Mix it up a bit. Good luck.0 -
You could always try the low calorie Italian dressing. It has anywhere between 15 to 25 calories.
I had a salad today that was about 200 calories. It had kale and spinach, Italian cheeses, and croutons. I put fat free Italian dressing on it.
I find salads taste really good with the darker leaves: spinach, kale, romaine, etc etc. You could also cut carrots and broccoli to put in the salad as well.
Chicken and/or nuts/dried fruit/seeds can be put on a salad to make it taste really good, but these do add calories. So if you're worried about calories, use these one at a time. Like one day maybe have chicken on your salad with cheese, or one day a salad with a sprinkle of dried cranberries or seeds.0 -
Fresh Berries! Nuts, sliced apples or pears, pineapple, cheese (sparingly), cranberries, fresh herbs, seafood like salmon, smoked salmon, or scallops, beans, corn, salsa, carrots, cucumbers, avacado, chopped veggies cooked with curry, and on And on.
Get creative and experementsometimes I use what I have (the other day it was hummus and turned out delightful).
Look at the salad menus of fancy restaurants for ideas too. Most of them can be found online. :flowerforyou:0 -
Lean meat, salsa, gauc, greek yogurt, sun dried tomatoes, flavored tuna packets, sunflower seeds, olives...etc. All sorts of choices.0
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QFT, how could I forget Bacon.0 -
Blueberries or mandarin orange wedges with goat cheese and a light raspberry vinaigrette if I want something sweet.
If not, I'll go for kalamata olive slices, banana pepper rings, cherry tomatoes, and turkey pepperonis or chicken with italian dressing or light ranch. Nomnomnom!0 -
I toss mine in a small amount of dressing and add sunflower seeds and shredded cheese. Mmm.0
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Fat is a necessary macro. So is protein. I add all kinds of nutrient dense foods to my salads: eggs, bacon, avocado, any kind of meat, and lots and lots of homemade salad dressings (no canola, soy or other toxic oils). Yes I add lots of calories and NUTRIENTS because my body needs them and it makes my salads very appetizing indeed.0
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Eating salad is not a requirement to reach you goals. And you used the word "hate" so must despise eating them. Don't.0
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I like to use cottage cheese instead of salad dressing. It's a better food than dressing and it does the job.... moisten the salad. I happen to love cottage cheese anyway. Also if you are going to have salad, add some good sources of protein such as beans or chickpeas.0
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Don't force yourself to eat something you don't like. There are several other foods that are nutritious and delicious. Discover them. Food is meant to be enjoyed not forced down.
P.S. Lettuce really doesn't have much nutrition; it's mostly water so you're not missing out on anything magical.
That said, I LOVE salads! I eat a big one twice a day but only because I love the taste of vegetables. I only use olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a dash of salt, pepper and some dried basil.
QFT
Also, a salad doesn't even have to have lettuce. You can base it on other veggies. When tomatoes are at their best in the summer, I'll just chop up a big one, add fresh herbs like basil, add some balsamic and salt, and chow down. Today I had a huge plate of roasted beets dressed with white wine vinegar, a little warm bacon fat, Dijon mustard, smoked sea salt, black pepper, and a little grated ricotta salata. My appetizer was the beet greens, cooked in a little water with bacon fat, dressed with white wine vinegar and Tabasco.
Once you get used to homemade dressings, I predict you'll never want to go back to commercial dressings. Just start with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and fresh or dried herbs. You can add a little mustard or mayo as an emulsifier (so the oil and vinegar won't separate), but lots of times I don't bother. Later you can experiment with other oils (e.g., nut oils) and other kinds of vinegar, or try lemon juice instead of vinegar (goes well with lots of pepper). You can add a little anchovy paste and grated parmesan for a Caesar style dressing.
Beyond dressing, things like cheese, nuts, olives, bacon, and avocado (it doesn't take much) and fresh or dried herbs can add flavor. You actually need to have some fat so that your body can make use of the vitamins you're getting.0 -
Salads are generally low in macro nutrients but high in micro nutrients.
If you are missing the micronutrients they provide, yes they are 'healthy' for you.
If you are not, then it's not going to do much - you don't get super-healthy by just having more vitamins and minerals, whatever the adverts or current fad woo suggests!
I would start by adding some meat - grilled chicken, lean ham or similar.
Mmmmm, meat.
Then sprinkle over some garlic, salt, pepper and others herbs and spices.
A little extra-extra-light mayo mixed with light ketchup is harldy any calories and makes a nice 'dressing'.0
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