Best Salads?

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macr0babe
macr0babe Posts: 61 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm looking to up my calorie intake through delicious salads and I'm pretty much open to it all - except incorporating meat. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a vegetarian/vegan by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel physically sick whenever I've had meat in salads; like chicken caesar salads.

So what's the best salad you've made or had?
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Replies

  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
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    My fav:

    Toss 2 cans of chickpeas with olive oil & salt, bake in oven for 20 minutes or so.

    Chop a bunch of kale, simmer in water on stove for a bit.

    Boil some pasta

    Combine all (add in whatever else you might like...fresh mozzarella, herbs, olives, whatever), toss in some of your favorite balsamic vinaigrette, and enjoy!
  • greekyogurtandpuppies
    greekyogurtandpuppies Posts: 81 Member
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    I love kale salad with sliced almonds and apricots. Also, black bean, quinoa, lentil, and avocado salad with corn, romaine and tomato for a Mexican style salad. So yummy :)
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    I like cranberries and walnuts, some apple.

    Pepitas are a good little salty add on to balance the sweet with.

    Shrimp too... Not sure where that is with you.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    edited June 2015
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    3 to 6 cups spring green mix, 14 grams julienned sun-dried tomatoes, 28 grams gorgonzola blue cheese, 2 T balsamic vinaigrette and 14 grqms croutons.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    I love spinach, mesclun, romaine, cucumbers, mushrooms, craisins, Gorgonzola, and sunflower seeds with light champagne vin.
  • AMaverickRenegade
    AMaverickRenegade Posts: 12 Member
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    Mixed greens or spinach with strawberries, mandarin oranges, craisins, sliced almonds, feta cheese, and dressing. I like Panera's Fuji Apple Vinegar.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    if you are trying to up your calorie intake, why are you using salad as your modality?
  • roselemonade
    roselemonade Posts: 53 Member
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    I just had a salad of chopped cucumber and some tzatziki (yogurt, lemon juice, mint or dill, garlic) sauce. For a party tomorrow I'm making a salad with feta cheese, cubed watermelon, mint, and a little balsamic vinegar. A really good salad dressing is Julia Child's French Vinaigrette, the recipe for which is easily found online (though I use much much less olive oil when I make it) and which tastes good on pretty much any kind of greens.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    if you are trying to up your calorie intake, why are you using salad as your modality?

    This was my question, too. If I were to up my calorie intake, I would opt for calorie dense foods like cheese, avocados, chocolate, peanut butter, etc. Why only salads?
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Any mix of greens you want (field greens, spinach, arugula, etc)
    Diced avocado
    Crumbled goat cheese
    Diced tart apple
    Dried cherries
    Chopped candied pecans or sliced almonds
    Fresh corn**

    Dressing:
    1 part honey
    1 part whole grain mustard
    2 parts olive oil
    3 parts white balsamic or apple cider vinegar

    For normal salad eaters - I add grilled chicken to this salad usually as well.

    **Cut it off the cob and saute it in a teeny bit of butter with salt and pepper for just a couple of minutes. If you want, you could also cut some bacon into lardons and cook that to crisp and then saute the corn in the bacon fat - you could add the bacon to the salad, too; I know you said no meat but bacon bits are basically a condiment, right?
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,779 Member
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    FoxyLifter wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    if you are trying to up your calorie intake, why are you using salad as your modality?

    This was my question, too. If I were to up my calorie intake, I would opt for calorie dense foods like cheese, avocados, chocolate, peanut butter, etc. Why only salads?

    Maybe she's looking for one of those potluck salads that are made of starch and mayonnaise and nightmares? Anyway OP, I like adding cheese and avocados to my salads, as well as kidney beans and chickpeas. Haven't tried chocolate or peanut butter yet but give me time.
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    I really love the chicken strawberry poppyseed salad at Panera, its amazing! Also any asian salad with peanut sauce mmmmm
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,596 Member
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    macr0babe wrote: »
    I'm looking to up my calorie intake through delicious salads and I'm pretty much open to it all - except incorporating meat. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a vegetarian/vegan by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel physically sick whenever I've had meat in salads; like chicken caesar salads.

    So what's the best salad you've made or had?

    I will not be helpful because I'm VERY basic when it comes to salad to keep the calories low. Mostly just the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of cheese for flavor. Plus, of course, some kind of lo cal dressing.

    I'm just curious if it's eating the meat along with the salad that gets you sick or can you eat them separately at the same meal?

    Whenever I go out to eat, I always get the grilled chicken in a separate container as the side salad since I don't like my lettuce warm. Even if it's just in spots. :)

  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
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    My favourite salad is pretty basic. Cheap iceberg lettuce mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, ground beef taco meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream. Sometimes I'll add guacamole if there's room in the calorie budget.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Here's another one:

    1 small to medium head of shredded napa cabbage
    2 scallions, thinly sliced

    Melt 1tb butter in a saute pan. Add in 1tb sesame seeds, 1/4 c sliced almonds, and 1 package uncooked/unseasoned ramen (crushed), saute til toasty brown.

    Mix equal parts (by volume) soy sauce, canola oil, and peanut butter in a saucepan or microwaveable bowl and stir/heat until PB is melted and ingredients are incorporated.

    Mix it all up.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Last one is this:
    http://damndelicious.net/2013/03/25/kale-salad-with-meyer-lemon-vinaigrette/
  • ariamythe
    ariamythe Posts: 130 Member
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    barbecuesauce wrote: »
    Maybe she's looking for one of those potluck salads that are made of starch and mayonnaise and nightmares?

    LOL. I bet the nightmare adds a real kick to the flavor. :)

  • Whiskeytub
    Whiskeytub Posts: 96 Member
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    Roasted beets sliced over mesclun and topped with gorgonzola and walnuts. I dress it with a balsamic reduction sauce which I make and keep around for things like salads and pork chops and stuff. Or you can use a balsamic vinaigrette.

    I've also been really enjoying hummus and pesto as a salad dressing. I use mixed greens topped with chopped tomato, sliced onion and a diced pickle spear along with a half an avocado and just throw on a tablespoon of pesto and a plop of hummus. Delicious!
  • Hipnotika
    Hipnotika Posts: 69 Member
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    JenSD6 wrote: »
    My favourite salad is pretty basic. Cheap iceberg lettuce mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, ground beef taco meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream. Sometimes I'll add guacamole if there's room in the calorie budget.

    This sounds really good!!
  • Hipnotika
    Hipnotika Posts: 69 Member
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    Mine is pretty basic too, romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, spinach and a pouch of tuna or red salmon with a 1 tsp of lemon juice. If i try others meats its either baked chicken breast, or baked sirloin. I don't do dressings never had. But thats just my taste.

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