Salad Help

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  • marlanaperry
    marlanaperry Posts: 20 Member
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    I always load my salads up with a bunch of crunch and sweet things as well to help out with taste. My usual salad recipe is below:

    Lettuce: 2 oz of finely cut kale (kale has more nutrients than traditional lettuce and it less rabbit foody in my opinion than mixed greens)
    Protein: 3 egg whites or 3 oz of chicken
    Fruit: 1 serving of craisins or 1 kiwi or 20 halved grapes (I try to avoid doing craisins because they have so much added sugar, but sometimes I'm just to lazy to peel a kiwi or cut grapes)
    Crunch: 1/3 cup dried edamame (I prefer edamame to nuts because it's way higher in protein and lower in fat)
    Veggies: 1/3 red or yellow bell pepper (adds extra sweetness and crunch as well!)
    Creamy: 1 serving of hummus

    And then to cut calories, I avoid using salad dressing and add a lot of lemon juice. This keeps from being dry (which is also the rabbit food issue with salads that I have) and adds just a little bit of flavor.

    But really, you just have to find a salad that works for you. If nothing else though, I do advise keeping dressings to a minimum though. I worked at Cheese Cake Factory once upon a time, and I was shocked to learn that most of the salads there had more calories and fat than the creamy pasta dishes just because of the dressings that were used. And Ceasar dressing is definitely one of the worst!
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
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    nadialaurenn wrote: »
    Add protein to your salad! try different kinds of lettuce. add cheese, add lots of veggies, beans. Add stuff so that it doesn't look mostly green. I really don't like lettuce so it's okay if you have less lettuce than others things

    I don't like lettuce either, especially iceberg. My salads changed dramatically when I started substituting baby spinach for lettuce. It's not watery, it doesn't have that bland taste and I find my ingredients taste better on a foundation of fresh spinach than any type of lettuce. I tried kale and a spinach kale mix and I didn't like either one. Kale is not for me.

    And I second the protein! Perdue makes a pre cut chicken product called Short Cuts. It comes in different flavors (besides plain grilled) like italian and southwestern and you get 71g for 90 calories with 14g of protein. It's great for wraps too. Stuff some chicken, spinach and a sprinkle of Bolthouse Farms into a wrap and you have a 200 calorie lunch. I'm so lazy, I couldn't make do without this chicken.
  • IndigoSpider
    IndigoSpider Posts: 37 Member
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    kywy84 wrote: »
    I just realized from all the questions above that I don't like the texture of lettuce and I didn't know the proper way to make a really good salad. Thank you. I now know that I can cut the lettuce up really small or not put it in at all. Also for the few who asked why I thought I was eating Rabbit food....I used to breed rabbits when I was a teenager and guess what I fed them? Lettuce!! I just didn't know how else to explain it. Thanks for your help everyone.

    You may also want to try various types of lettuce. My mother was a fan of iceberg lettuce but I can't stand it because of the texture and bland taste. The taste and textures vary and there are a TON of options. Arugula, iceberg, romaine, red leaf (one of my favorites for every day), butter (sometimes called Boston) lettuce, watercress (makes a lovely light tasting salad, great for summer), radicchio etc., etc.

    Experiment, you might be surprised to find not all lettuce is the same "rabbit food" :smile:

    Also, as others have suggested, don't forget there are options like using spinach or cabbage to make salads. I make a simple red cabbage salad that is delicious:
    1. 1 red pear, sliced (any pear works, but red tastes best to me personally)
    2. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    3. 1 teaspoon agave
    4. 2 cups shredded raw red cabbage
    5. 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
    6. 2 tablespoons olive oil
    7. salt/pepper to taste (optional)



  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,691 Member
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    If you don't like it don't eat salad, but I personally love it. As far as dressings go, I am on a light balsamic vinaigrette that is around 50 calories for 2 Tbs. Play with different lettuce; SERIOUSLY iceberg is not the only thing out there and there are frankly other that are so much more tasty and nutritious and can transform the salad to something entirely different. Or make a salad that has no greens. I love combinations of sweet and savory in a salad, here's a few examples that I have made before:

    pear, Gorgonzola, red onion, pecan, chicken

    walnut, dried cranberry, red onion, blueberry, goat cheese, chicken

    feta, cucumber, red onion, olives, tomatoes, chicken

    blackened chicken, strawberry, red onion, feta

    chicken, grilled pineapple, blueberry, goat cheese, red onion

    buffalo sauce, chicken, hard boiled egg, onion, tomato, bleu cheese, bacon

    corn, black bean, tomato, green chile, hot sauce, bell pepper, light buffalo ranch, onion, cumin

    I'm sure you can see the common themes :) You can make a hearty, enviable salad that is delicious and nutritious.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Try a variety of greens, there are so many different ones that are quite tasty and more nutritious than iceberg lettuce or even romaine. I usually but spring mix or 50/50 spinach/spring mix. Raddichio, kale, chard, chopped cabbage or brussel sprouts can add substance yo your regular greens.

    I use only good quality flavored EVOO and flavored vinegars. Only need a little bit for a lot of flavor. Also extra herbs like basil chives or oregano.
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
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    In Southern Spain, there's a very nice salad called pipirrana. Simple: Tomato, cut tiny; same with cucumber, onion, garlic and sweet pepper. Oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper. Let it all sit in the fridge for a bit. East slowly and enjoy. You can dip Italian or French style bread to soak up the dressing. Very nice.

    If you adjust things just slightly and toss it all into a blender, you wind up with gazpacho, which I've been concocting every few days all summer so far (only with fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar).
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
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    phxteach wrote: »
    If calories are an issue, you might try Walden Farm's dressings. Zero calories. The Thousand Island dressing has the best reviews and I didn't think it was bad at all. Otherwise, seems like you got some awesome options folks have suggested.

    I bought this stuff knowing it was probably too good to be true (several months ago and in several different flavors) and I was right. I literally gagged on it and immediately threw it in the trash. I'll just stick to my flavorful dressings and take 100 extra calories.

  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
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    rbfdac wrote: »
    phxteach wrote: »
    If calories are an issue, you might try Walden Farm's dressings. Zero calories. The Thousand Island dressing has the best reviews and I didn't think it was bad at all. Otherwise, seems like you got some awesome options folks have suggested.

    I bought this stuff knowing it was probably too good to be true (several months ago and in several different flavors) and I was right. I literally gagged on it and immediately threw it in the trash. I'll just stick to my flavorful dressings and take 100 extra calories.

    This dressing isn't available in my area (as far as I know) but thanks for this review! I was wondering how good a zero calorie creamy dressing could be. Have you tried Bolthouse Farms yogurt dressings? 60g (a double serving) for 80 calories. There are several flavors and they are the only ones I use now.

  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Kexessa wrote: »
    rbfdac wrote: »
    phxteach wrote: »
    If calories are an issue, you might try Walden Farm's dressings. Zero calories. The Thousand Island dressing has the best reviews and I didn't think it was bad at all. Otherwise, seems like you got some awesome options folks have suggested.

    I bought this stuff knowing it was probably too good to be true (several months ago and in several different flavors) and I was right. I literally gagged on it and immediately threw it in the trash. I'll just stick to my flavorful dressings and take 100 extra calories.

    This dressing isn't available in my area (as far as I know) but thanks for this review! I was wondering how good a zero calorie creamy dressing could be. Have you tried Bolthouse Farms yogurt dressings? 60g (a double serving) for 80 calories. There are several flavors and they are the only ones I use now.

    I've never had this dressing, but I see that several people mentioned it, so I'm going to have to try some!
  • kywy84
    kywy84 Posts: 20 Member
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    rbfdac wrote: »
    phxteach wrote: »
    If calories are an issue, you might try Walden Farm's dressings. Zero calories. The Thousand Island dressing has the best reviews and I didn't think it was bad at all. Otherwise, seems like you got some awesome options folks have suggested.

    I bought this stuff knowing it was probably too good to be true (several months ago and in several different flavors) and I was right. I literally gagged on it and immediately threw it in the trash. I'll just stick to my flavorful dressings and take 100 extra calories.


    I bought it and actually liked it. I guess because I don't have much experience with salad dressings. I still use the recommended amount to make sure I don't change the zero calorie thing.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,429 Member
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    RodaRose wrote: »
    Instead of salad, eat some roasted vegetables like green beans or squash :)

    +1 to that, +1 to "a salad can be anything", *then* put those ideas together . . .

    . . . and here's one I made recently:

    Leftover oven-roasted cauliflower, with cucumber and red onion, dressed with plain nonfat greek yogurt + cumin + turmeric + a little salt + minced garlic.

    Yum.
  • blackcoffeeandcherrypie
    blackcoffeeandcherrypie Posts: 486 Member
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    I cook chicken to have with my salad. I cook the chicken with garlic, chillies, ginger and seasoning. By the time it hits the salad, it has enough flavour to lift the whole dish :-)
  • RinnyBlush
    RinnyBlush Posts: 29 Member
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    kywy84 wrote: »
    I made my first salad this weekend and actually liked it. I used lettuce and cut it up really small like some of you suggested. I used Walden Farms dressing too and it tastes really good for being zero calories. I even went and bought the tupperware above to help keep it fresh and that works great too. I thank you all for your help. I am still experimenting but I thank you all for the ideas.

    Awesome! Sounds like you're learning what you like. Keep experimenting. :)

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