Salad ideas!!!

So I need to start making up some salad boxes...now I hate most salads....but i need to eat light and avoid high carb foods...so any ideas as to what I can put in my salad boxes??? I don't live near a health store (just my local sainsbury's and co-op) so I am really looking for low fat/cal/carb combinations that are preferably under 250 cals???

I was thinking along the lines of chicken, sweetcorn, a bit of brown rice, green veg etc.

help me!!!!

Cheers :)
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Replies

  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
    My salads change up a lot based on what I feel like putting in them, here are some ideas:

    Roamine heart lettuce, mandarin oranges, chopped walnuts with poppyseed dressing.

    Mixed green lettuce and spinach, berrries( Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), green grapes seedless, mango, chopped walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, with a strawberry or raspberry vinegarette

    Romaine, mixed green or butter leaf lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatos, red & yellow bell peppers, shredded carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, musroom caps, with goddess dressing (any dressing would work with this). Sometimes I add a hard boiled egg or chicken to this
  • brizzeem
    brizzeem Posts: 82 Member
    check out my food diary, I typically have salads for lunch on weekdays.
  • brizzeem
    brizzeem Posts: 82 Member
    and you can mix any meat u like or veggy toppings just watch the amounts. nuts, bacon bits, YES BACON!!!

    I really like the taste of those sweet banana pepper rings too. canned beats are also good.
  • lindsayomalley
    lindsayomalley Posts: 32 Member
    Reduced Sugar Oceanspray craisins are great!
  • HLSoriano
    HLSoriano Posts: 19
    My salad for this week is:

    Romaine
    Green peppers
    Cucumbers
    Cherry tomatoes
    Craisins
    Apple chips
    5 oz chicken breast
    Light blue cheese dressing

    It's been really tasty!
  • I get Chicken of the Sea salmon (in the bag) when I get tired of adding chicken to my salads. Yum!
  • allstatemom
    allstatemom Posts: 183 Member
    Spring Mix
    Can of Albacore tuna (drained)
    green beans
    boiled egg
    a few croutons for crunch
    Rustic Italian Dressing
  • Naley2322
    Naley2322 Posts: 181 Member
    I eat a salad every night for dinner! There are so many options! I lately have been loving the roasted salads which consist of a bed of crunchy romaine / roasted summer veggies on top ex: summer squash / zucchini / tomatoes / asparagus!

    You can also make healthy croutons using the lower carb. 100% whole wheat 35 calorie bread!

    Also you can go for fruit salads with soft baby lettuces like spinach with vinaigrette. On these I usually use vegetarian "chicken" grapes, cherries, walnuts, pears, or apples!
  • valleemic
    valleemic Posts: 103 Member
    I ate so many garden salads with light Italian dressing for months!! If I eat another one, I think I'll quit eating healthy all together! LOL! So, here are 3 yummy different salads to try:

    Salad #1
    -Kale
    -Cabbage
    -Chicory
    -Dried cranberries
    -Roasted pumpkin seeds
    -Poppyseed dressing
    -Grilled chicken pieces

    Salad #2
    -Kale
    -Baby spinach
    -Bean Sprouts
    -Brussels Sprouts (shredded)
    -Sunflower seeds
    -Raisins
    -Hard boiled egg
    -Lemon garlic dressing

    Salad #3
    -Mixed field greens (Costco)
    -Apples
    -Roasted coconut flakes
    -Dried cranberries
    -Shrimp
    -Feta Greek salad dressing
  • conklil
    conklil Posts: 81 Member
    wow, my salads are so boring, will have to try some of these.

    mine: chicken breast fajitas (frozen, just nuke to defrost)
    mixed salad greens
    cherry tomatoes
    cucumbers
    red bell pepper
    black olives
    feta cheese
  • fancyface1955
    fancyface1955 Posts: 90 Member
    I keep it simple with just romaine and cucumber. sometimes I bring celery/carrot sticks with some hummus if I don't cut them up and add to the salad. Another huge help is SALSA! I add it on top in place of dressing and it also serves as your tomato, onion, & pepper. Hope this helps.
  • moparjer
    moparjer Posts: 125 Member
    I know it sounds weird, but I like to add sweet fruit to my salads (grapes, raisins, canned or fresh tangerines)....
  • LosingItForGood13
    LosingItForGood13 Posts: 182 Member
    Spinach strawberries sweet peppers or regular green yellow orange peppers some chicken
  • WildCatClimbs
    WildCatClimbs Posts: 35 Member
    Red lettuce, cucumbers,artichoke hearts, tomatoes, carrots, crumbled bacon,shredded rotisserie chicken, almond slivers, topped with lemon juice and olive oil.

    I love all these yummy sounding ideas!
  • charmarbobar
    charmarbobar Posts: 251 Member
    The usual suspects in mine are edamame, tuna, soy nuts, chicken breast, any veggie (cherry tomatoes are a fave), sun flower seeds, pumpkin seeds...it varies :)
  • LessHeavyVeggie
    LessHeavyVeggie Posts: 208 Member
    Recently I had one (thanks to some suggestions on another post from some lovely people) with:

    Spinach
    Beetroot
    Apple
    Feta
    Walnuts
    Red onion

    It was really nice and the apple didn't make it too sweet.

    There's a craze on-line at the moment for 'bento boxes' - basically it's originally a japanese thing consisting of a lunchbox containing some smaller compartments to make a nice lunch. Some of them are crazy with animal themed presentation, but a lot of them are simple and easy to do - try searching 'salad bento', 'simple salad bento', 'low-carb salad bento' or whatever on pinterest and you should get some ideas.
  • AyaRowan
    AyaRowan Posts: 80 Member
    My favorite salad has:

    Romaine lettuce
    Plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream
    Salsa or pico de gallo
    Reduced fat cheddar jack cheese
    Some form of meat/beans for protein (optional)

    For meats you can use lower sodium turkey bacon bits (the real kind, not with artificial flavorings). You can also cook a chicken breast and slice it up. Or just a spribnkle of some rinsed black beans. But my favorite option is to get a Morning Star spicy black bean burger and slice it up and spread it on top of the salad.

    Plain Greek yogurt tastes pretty much like sour cream, but with fewer calories and fat as well as tons of protein and healthy probiotics for digestion. You can use jarred salsa as long as you pick a good tasting brand. Personally I like Herdez salsa casera medium, no preservatives and short ingredient list. However if you're watching your sodium, you could also make fresh pico de gallo so you can control the amount of salt put in it. Pico de gallo is the raw version of salsa basically and it tastes fresher and lighter.

    The combination between the yogurt and the salsa tastes so amazingggg to me. Just remember that if you take a salad with things like yogurt or dressing or salsa, be sure to keep it separated from the lettuce and veggies to avoid having it get soggy before lunchtime. You should be able to find small little containers that seal shut tightly to carry condiments and dressings in. Or salad lunch bowls with built in dressing spaces.
  • chefstew79
    chefstew79 Posts: 30 Member
    1. Arugula With Lemon Vinaigrette (i.e. Lemon Juice, Hazelnut Oil, Salt & Pepper) and Herbed Goat Cheese (i.e. Fresh Herbs, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Goat Cheese)

    2. Spinach Leaves, Sliced Hard Boiled Egg, Chicken & Swiss with Cinnamon Vinaigrette (Cinnamon, Hazelnut Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt & Pepper)

    3. Salmon (or Tuna) Caesar: Romaine Lettuce, Dressing (Lemon Juice, Worcestershire Sauce, Olive Oil, Garlic, Parmesan Cheese), Tuna or Salmon

    4. Spring Mix, Pears, Crumbled Blue Cheese & Cranberry Vinaigrette (Canned Cranberry, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar)
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
    Try putting a nut/seed, cheese, dried fruit, meat/egg, veg combo on every plate of greens. If you keep a variety of nuts, dried fruits, cheese and precooked bacon/frozen edamame on hand you can rotate in the perishable fresh seasonal veg. Boiled grains like Kamut, bulgar, quinoa and millet also easy additions with excellent shelf life.
  • alltheweigh170
    alltheweigh170 Posts: 287 Member
    bump
  • Garbanzo or red beans, olives, radishes, celery, chopped water chestnuts, almonds.. I make a garbanzo, red kidney bean salad with olive oil, chopped garlic and chopped spinach (I use frozen spinach and you only have to use about 1/4 cup) with 2 cups of each of kidney beans and garbanzo beans. Pretty tasty and good slow carbs and fiber. It will last in the refrigerator. I only use olive oil and salt free Mrs. Dash on my salads. How about some sardines or a small can of tuna. I also make turkey cupcakes (really only a turkey meatloaf put in cupcake tins). Then wrap them individually in saran wrap and freeze. Makes about 12 cupcakes and they are ready when you are. Good source of protein. Sometimes I will micro one for 1 minute and put it on my salad so it melts the cheese. How about a couple of strawberries for sweetness.
  • CanGirl40
    CanGirl40 Posts: 379 Member
    One of my fave's is "tex mex" :use fresh salsa as the dressing and add chicken breast, black beans, light shredded cheese, corn, a few tortilla chips crunched up, a bit of sour cream, sometimes a bit of avocado...a perfect big lunch or dinner!!!
  • jillian_fan2425
    jillian_fan2425 Posts: 167 Member
    This week I did a salad reminiscent of caprese salad: tomato, spinach (in lieu of basil), mozzarella, and a simple dressing made of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Very tasty and low calorie :)
  • PBWaffleCakes
    PBWaffleCakes Posts: 900 Member
    I like to add nuts to my salads. Almonds, peanuts, sun flower seeds. Almonds and peanuts come in different flavors so you change it up.
  • Bump. (Great ideas!)
  • isthisolivia
    isthisolivia Posts: 37 Member
    I have a go to salad dressing that I make every week that is a good replacement for the heavy stuff and is pretty good as a dip as well.

    1 cup organic non-fat greek yogurt
    6 tbsp olive oil
    6 tbsp apple cider vinegar (great for you, i sometimes use more)
    optional: some dill chopped up, some shallots thrown in.
    some pepper (i like a lot)
    and a couple drops of honey

    Put it in a mason jar, shake well. Keeps in the fridge for the week.
  • bex0178
    bex0178 Posts: 25 Member
    Spring greens, diced pear, sunflower seeds, white fish baked with ginger, and an asian style dressing or olive oil. Occasionally some steamed veggies on top like peppers or zucchini or a poached egg along with the fish if I need more protein. Yummy!
  • sed2209
    sed2209 Posts: 5
    Thank you everyone! Really appreciate all the tasty ideas! Thanks :)
  • jyogit
    jyogit Posts: 280 Member
    i've eaten salad with every meal for yrs and they can get boring i agree .. recently I've changed foods and so salads for me now include.. wild rocket,some form of lettuce cherry or vine tomatoes,cucumber and peppers .. thrown in with quinoa , blueberries , few raspberries if i remember to buy them .. lol and now i always add in some ground flax seeds and ground pumpkin seeds with the occasional sesame and poppy seeds .. then adding some meat of some kind or tuna .. i don't really rotate whats in them i just use whats left in the fridge at the time,but so far I'm not getting bored with the added ingredients :)
  • ahkennett
    ahkennett Posts: 15 Member
    I've had times when I've burned out on salads, but the most recent ones I've been eating have been a huge change for me. The big thing is that I've skipped the lettuce/greens portion. That little change really mixed things up.

    One recent salad was chopped broccoli, thin-sliced zucchini, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and a bit of sweet onion. I tossed that with some lemon juice and salt and pepper, then topped the whole thing with some left-over roasted chicken.