Salad ideas....? I'm getting bored!

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2

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  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 919 Member
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    My favorite salad right now is spinach, avocado, tomatoes, chicken breast, and extra sharp white cheddar cheese with 2 tbsp ranch. DELICIOUS!
  • Mom2rh
    Mom2rh Posts: 612 Member
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    Iceberg lettuce has very little food value. Romaine is a much better lettuce.

    http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/lettuce_info.htm

    Personally, I like salads other people make better too. ; ) But when I make my own I will throw in fresh spinach or other salad greens, whatever veggies I have. Avocado is good too as well as feta or some other flavorful cheese.
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
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    I just made a cold quinoi salad yesterday - h ubby had it at a restaurant the other day ...

    Quinoi cook as regular, refridgerage so it chills
    Add
    Cucumber & Tomato (Tiny dices)
    1/2 cup freshly cut parsley

    Mix and eat! So good ... SOOO DARN GOOD! and so fresh tasting and smelling cuz of the cukes!
  • nurse_carolyn
    nurse_carolyn Posts: 348
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    I love to put tuna (the flavoured kind) in my salads.....I also use my own oil and vinegar dressing as opposed to the bottled salad dressings. I either use balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar and olive oil.
  • Jackie_Snape80
    Jackie_Snape80 Posts: 152
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    Seasoning blends are great on salads. Try the salt-free blends on the salad. Also, try things other than dressings on salad. Maybe salsa, taco sauce(my personal favorite), hummus, spicy mustard mixed in. Try getting a head of fresh romaine(tastier and cheaper than those salad mixed you keep getting!) Mix up the veggies. Mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers(for a tangy sweet crunch!), broccoli, slices of bakes eggplant(with marinara as the "dressing") Seasoned beans also add a great taste. Fresh berries. The list goes on and on, really.
  • jbucci1186
    jbucci1186 Posts: 440 Member
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    the secret is SODIUM lol and probably sugar (at least that's why i can't match the Hula Bowl from max and erma's when i try to make it at home)
  • speckledbandit
    speckledbandit Posts: 16 Member
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    The salads in restaurants taste better because the greens are fresher and have cut and cleaned with water very recently. I like putting corn and guacamole on my salads. :)
  • RissaDean
    RissaDean Posts: 189 Member
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    First of all - try romaine or mesclun (mixed) lettuce instead of iceberg. Way more nutrients and WAY better tasting :)

    Also, what sort of dressings do you like? I've tried several Kraft ones, and like sun-dried tomato viniagarette (spelling?), light honey dijon, and roasted red pepper.

    Check out some restaurant websites for salad combo ideas:

    - Applebees: grilled chicken + a few pecans + craisans
    - Feta cheese + grilled pork or chicken + greek dressing
    - BJ's Brewhouse: grilled breast of chicken, toasted almonds or crisp wontons, red bell peppers, green onions, mandarin oranges, sesame seeds and sesame dressing
    - Arby's: I like to use Tyson's popcorn chicken (basically little chicken nuggets) on top of a salad...just make sure to stay w/in the serving size. Then again, 9 popcorn bites over a salad = pretty good sized salad IMHO.

    Other things to try in a salad:
    - Low fat croutons taste pretty close to the same as regular ones, they just aren't as oily.
    - Leftover meats from last night's dinner: chicken, fish, shrimp, steak - pretty much anything except enchiladas can be stretched a bit further when put over a salad!

    Once you get a few combos you like, you could even write the ingredients of that salad on the dressing bottle with a sharpie. I have 3-4 bottles of dressing in my fridge at any one time, and in 2 mos there will be 3-4 new, different kinds :)
  • bflicker11
    bflicker11 Posts: 296
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    OMG!!! Such great suggestions! Thanks to the original poster!!
  • JoyfulSparkle
    JoyfulSparkle Posts: 96
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    I find iceburg lettuce never tastes good. it tastes like crunchy water.. i like romaine or raw spinach leaves ... chopped up cucumber - maybe a little cherry/grape tomato.. try fancier dressings - stick to types of vinegarettes for a calorie/carb wise option

    I agree, raw spinach.
    This year I also planted my greens, It made me more excited to eat them.
    And a salad spinner.... I think it's funny!
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
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    I suggest just trying to toss different types of salad to find what one is less boring than others. Mix it up here and there.

    Maybe add some mint jelly too!
  • bonkers5975
    bonkers5975 Posts: 1,015 Member
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    I love iceberg for texture (also high in potassium) and leaf lettuce for bulk. Any lettuce is good. I add blueberries or apple, a boiled egg, and marinated cuke slices, in addition to the usual culprits (carrots, celery, radish, peppers, tomato). Then I use whatever meat I have. There's such a variety of dressings, too, I love trying new ones. :)
  • bluevwgurl
    bluevwgurl Posts: 220 Member
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    I'm into taco salads right now.

    start with about 2 cups salad mix
    add:
    low fat shredded cheddar cheese (1/8-1/4 cup)
    95/5 ground hamburger cooked and drained (then mixed with taco seasoning) (approx 1/4 cup)
    tomatoes 1/4 cup
    red onion 1/8 cup
    nacho cheese doritios crushed (i use a handful...its my splurge)

    and i use fat free kraft catalina dressing.

    It is soooo good! About 340 calories. But it makes a nice filling lunch.

    I'm sure if you used less doritos, or a lower calorie chip, the calorie count would go down but its my splurge
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I go through stages of salad love. Right now it's an apple pecan salad.

    Lettuce (right now, I'm using a spring mix)
    1/4 apple
    1/8 cup craisins
    1/8 cup pecans
    3 oz chicken breast
    1 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
    1 tbsp raspberry viniagrette

    Another one is taco salad. Prepare ground beef with taco seasoning. It will keep for a few days, or freeze it in single servings.

    Lettuce, tomato, 3 oz of ground beef mix. 1/4 cup greek yogurt. 1/4 cup salsa. 5 or 6 nacho chips. 1/4 cup shredded cheddar.
  • plt55
    plt55 Posts: 111 Member
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    I get sooo bored by any lettuce I sometimes just make the salad out of everything but lettuce .I cut up cucumbers onions tomatoes green peppers cauliflower etc .then I use a light ranch on them yummm
  • reepobob
    reepobob Posts: 1,172 Member
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    I suggest just trying to toss different types of salad to find what one is less boring than others. Mix it up here and there.

    Maybe add some mint jelly too!

    I always found that tossed salad always tastes better when you drink with hot tea...make sure you leave the tea bag in the cup...not just for the first few minutes...I find that alternating between the tossed salad and the tea (bag) is an almost devine experience!
  • ShannonMEllis
    ShannonMEllis Posts: 1
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    Salad #1
    Spinach & Red leaf lettuce (more spinach than lettuce 2:1 ratio)
    Tomato
    Bell pepper
    Hard boiled egg
    Uncured Turkey Bacon
    Sprouts
    Avocado
    Almond Slivers
    Onion
    Salad Deressing: Use only enough to wet your salad (to your taste)
    1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    Juice from 2 large Lemons
    Tbls mustard
    Couple of drops/squirts of your favorite hot sauce

    Salad #2
    Spinach
    Walnuts
    Turkey Bacon
    Bell Pepper
    Onion
    Salad Dressing:
    (2-3) Tbls Extra virgin olive oil
    (1-2) Tbls Balsamic Vinegar (A good one, Kirkland brand is excellent)

    If you are counting callories, back off on the nuts; they are higher in calories and have more omega 6. Olive oil and Avocado are super healthy fats and something you don't want to skimp on as much as you do the nuts.
  • holdondreamaway
    holdondreamaway Posts: 35
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    I'll try not to repeat ones that others have said but... Try new kinds of lettuce, there are tons of awesome greens out there! My boyfriend buys in the fresh express packages at the grocery store, my favorite is pear gorgonzola, we eat salad every night. For making at home, try some new lettuce and throwing in any mix and match of avocado, olives, tomato, cucumber, celery, carrots, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apple, cilantro, any of your favorite nuts, and any kind of cheese to taste. You could even cook up some chicken or a light fish for a more rounded meal. Try new dressings, there's a raspberry one I love, and try to use dressing sparingly as well. You can even make dressing at home! One of my friends makes her own mustard vinaigrette and it's lovely. Whenever you go to a restaurant, make a note of their salad ingredients that you like, or wander the produce aisle and pick something new! Good luck, tell us if you find anything really awesome.
  • brewingaz
    brewingaz Posts: 1,136 Member
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    I suggest just trying to toss different types of salad to find what one is less boring than others. Mix it up here and there.

    Maybe add some mint jelly too!

    I always found that tossed salad always tastes better when you drink with hot tea...make sure you leave the tea bag in the cup...not just for the first few minutes...I find that alternating between the tossed salad and the tea (bag) is an almost devine experience!

    The dressing makes a difference too. You can go thick and creamy or you can go thin.
  • reepobob
    reepobob Posts: 1,172 Member
    Options
    I suggest just trying to toss different types of salad to find what one is less boring than others. Mix it up here and there.

    Maybe add some mint jelly too!

    I always found that tossed salad always tastes better when you drink with hot tea...make sure you leave the tea bag in the cup...not just for the first few minutes...I find that alternating between the tossed salad and the tea (bag) is an almost devine experience!

    The dressing makes a difference too. You can go thick and creamy or you can go thin.

    You know this combo can be so good, your toes curl and you sometimes reach for things that aren't there...sometimes you curse uncontrollably...not sure why...

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