Lets talk salads
ShrinkingMama2
Posts: 65 Member
I am wanting to have a salad for lunch each day since I am a stay at home mom. I can buy them pre packaged or else I can save some money and have more variety by making them on my own. I am wondering
1) What do you put in your salads? I can't have tomatoes. I was thinking different salads such as chicken, ham, cucumbers, bacon, black olives, green olives, different dressings etc.
2) How can I make my own salads and store them without them going bad?
Thanks!
1) What do you put in your salads? I can't have tomatoes. I was thinking different salads such as chicken, ham, cucumbers, bacon, black olives, green olives, different dressings etc.
2) How can I make my own salads and store them without them going bad?
Thanks!
1
Replies
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1) I'm a big fan of "summer/tropical" salads. Chicken is good for a meat. Then you can try out avocado, oranges, pineapple, mangoes, cucumbers, along with some cheeses like feta or mozzarella. Nuts are good too. Try to avoid too much dressing or use light dressing or else the calories can add up.
2) For prepping, I would get a salad spinner to wash and dry your lettuce. You can store lettuce and cucumbers in there prepped. Then you can precook chicken and store it separate. Anything else you add, I would just do it when you are making the salad.0 -
I buy a bag of mixed greens, then add red bell peppers, cucumbers. Things like avocado, black olives, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, etc. I don't put in until the day of so nothing gets soggy. And I keep dressing separate until I'm about to eat.
I add meats or boiled eggs, as well.
I also like making chunky guacamole chicken salad.
Avocado, chopped,
a squirt of lime juice,
cilantro,
finely chopped purple onion or just onion powder,
salt and pepper,
Chopped chicken
Either diced apple or grapes cut in half.
Gently mix everything together, and let it sit a couple hours. Mix again when before eating.3 -
You can put just about anything in a salad. Beans, fruit, seeds/nuts, and grains are some salad ingredients that people may not consider at first glance. You can also mix different types of greens--spinach, spring mix, butter lettuce, romaine, kale, etc. Just don't get so enthusiastic that you buy more greens than you can eat in a few days
I find that if I'm using kale, I like to remove the stems and knead/"massage" the dressing into the leaves, then let it sit in the refrigerator. The kale leaves soak up some dressing and soften considerably.
One of my favorite ways to eat kale is with a dressing of agave, lemon juice, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. I top it with diced apples, candied nuts, and dried fruit--the "golden berry blend" from Trader Joe's is what I usually use. After I knead the kale with the dressing, I toss it with the other ingredients and refrigerate overnight. We learned this recipe from the farm where we used to get a CSA box.
We also like to use high quality flavored balsamic vinegar instead of dressing. It's very flavorful and low calorie. I usually don't add oil.
Regarding storing your salad, I would store dressing and wet ingredients separately from the other ingredients, and add those right before eating. (That kale salad is an exception!)1 -
Some of my favorite salads are:
Shirazi: cucumber, tomato (u can omit if you dont like tomato), onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and parsley.
Arugula, dried goji berries, and dark cherry vinaigrette.
Baby greens, dried cranberries, honeycrisp apple, and balsamic vinaigrette.
Kale with dijon vinaigrette.
Corn, avocado, and tomato.0 -
I adore salads, they are the main thing I crave. I'd try lots of different options -- let your creativity run wild. I do a variety of greens (romaine, arugula, spring greens, spinach (most common), kale, watercress, butter lettuce, etc.), and then a variety of veg (what I have on hand) raw or cooked depending on how I like them. Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, cukes, tomato (as I like it, but I never have it out of season anyway), peppers, mushrooms (I usually cook), green beans (same), brussels (same), herbs (cilantro or dill or parsley or mint, etc.), and then maybe some avocado or olives or cheese or nuts/seeds (or a couple of the above), and then maybe some fruit, and then some protein, whether it be chicken or steak or tofu or soybeans, etc.
And then a nice appropriate (for you and the salad) dressing. My favorite is a vinaigrette (I normally do a version of balsamic + olive oil with less olive oil than a standard recipe), but there are lower cal options (I like red wine vinegar + a spicy mustard) and other options (I do an Asian salad with a dressing of a bit of fish oil, soy sauce, and lime juice (from fresh limes), plus some sriracha). There are many other options with yogurt or mayo/egg bases too, and sweet dressings that I just hate.)3 -
Sometimes I make a "grilled vegetable" salad. Served warm with some interesting dressing: yoghurt and ginger and a bit of lemon grass.2
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Raw broccoli, red bell peppers, mushrooms, baby spinach, raw carrots, avocado is my usual go-to. I have a fab recipe for avocado honey lime dressing which is heavenly.0
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my usual salad includes: lettuce or spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, celery, carrot, olives
then i add any combo of cold meat (often chicken or ham), cheese, falafel, hummus, sour cream, pumpkin & sunflower seeds, boiled egg, avocado, mayo, salad cream, coleslaw, potato salad, baby new potatoes0 -
I usually have a mixing bowl sized salad 4-5 times a week, (also a sahm, it's my go-to lunch). My current mix is-
3 cups spinach/spring mix mixture (I buy them separately at Aldi and then mix them in my fresh saver containers)
1 serving protein (1/2c canned beans or 3oz salad shrimp or 3oz canned chicken breast)
4-5 mini sweet peppers
1/2c cherry tomatoes
1/2c diced sweet onion
3/4c chopped brocoli
5 black olives
5 green olives
mild pepper rings
2tbsp sunflower seeds
2tbsp feta cheese
drizzle hot sauce
1 serving fat free French dressing
This is a meal for me, with a serving of Wheat Thins on the side 1 -
To store produce I highly recommend rubbermaid fresh saver containers-they're a bit pricey but are amazing-I've saved so much money by using them!
https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-FreshWorks-Produce-Container-1920479/dp/B01CKM4G3W/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=37GLSCTDUT46Q&keywords=rubbermaid+freshworks+produce+saver+food+storage+containers&qid=1554387476&s=gateway&sprefix=rubbermaid+freshworks,aps,162&sr=8-1-spons&psc=10 -
There is a salad Panera serves in the summer that I like to re-create at home. It's called strawberry poppyseed chicken salad.
romaine lettuce.
Panera® Poppyseed Dressing.
grilled chicken breast
cup blueberries, fresh.
Mandarin oranges
pineapple
strawberries
toasted pecans
When I make it, I leave off the blueberries (I don't like them) and use lemon juice instead of dressing. YUM. My other go to when making salads at home is tuna and hard boiled egg.
The best way I've found to make salads ahead of time is use big ziplock bags, but I recommend portioning the lettuce separate from any chopped fruit or veggies and then just combine them when you're ready to eat.1 -
I buy Romaine lettuce that is in a package of 3 heads. I leave in head form, and wash and prep it just before I am going to eat it. It lasts quite a long time. I purchased a mini salad spinner. Mix it with arugula. Veggies are usually broccoli, pea pods, cucumbers, radishes, bell pepper, red onion, chia seeds, and broccoli sprouts that I sprout myself for salads and sandwiches. I don’t like tomatoes, so I never use them. Very low calorie as is. The calories add up very quickly with extras, cheese, meat, nuts, salad dressing, so I use sparingly with dressing I make. Usually a vinaigrette.0
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You can put just about anything in a salad. Beans, fruit, seeds/nuts, and grains are some salad ingredients that people may not consider at first glance. You can also mix different types of greens--spinach, spring mix, butter lettuce, romaine, kale, etc. Just don't get so enthusiastic that you buy more greens than you can eat in a few days I find that if I'm using kale, I like to remove the stems and knead/"massage" the dressing into the leaves, then let it sit in the refrigerator. The kale leaves soak up some dressing and soften considerably.
One of my favorite ways to eat kale is with a dressing of agave, lemon juice, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. I top it with diced apples, candied nuts, and dried fruit--the "golden berry blend" from Trader Joe's is what I usually use. After I knead the kale with the dressing, I toss it with the other ingredients and refrigerate overnight. We learned this recipe from the farm where we used to get a CSA box.
We also like to use high quality flavored balsamic vinegar instead of dressing. It's very flavorful and low calorie. I usually don't add oil.
Regarding storing your salad, I would store dressing and wet ingredients separately from the other ingredients, and add those right before eating. (That kale salad is an exception!)
I use kale in Thai beef salad and also like to marinate the kale in the dressing for a few hours.
Other than that, since it just takes a few minutes to assemble a salad, I don't see the point in making it ahead of time, with the possible exception of assembling the dry ingredients the night before if one is leaving the house the next day and doesn't have time in the AM.
One could also cook any meat / mix dressing ahead of time. I make enough dressing for three Thai salads at a time.0 -
I get the salad kits from Taylor Farms. Has everything you need but the meat/protein. I eat the whole bag for about 560 calories! My favorites are the Asian and the Broccoli crunch. SO GOOD!2
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i eat salad every day. generally spinach mixed in with arugala. toppings are either chicken/tuna for meat, always black olives, then whatever else i have handy (mushrooms, seeds, nuts, blueberries). now if only i could find a decent salad dressing!0
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What does being a stay at home mom have to do with having a salad for lunch?4
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You've got a fair share of ideas and I dont want to read them all to find out if this has been said, but you can keep your lettuce or whatever salad base you're using fresh by chopping it and storing it in a container lined with a damp paper towel. I chop lettuce, kale and spinach at the beginning of each week and store it in a large Tupperware container that way and it stays crisp.0
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What does being a stay at home mom have to do with having a salad for lunch?
I know for me being a sahm gives me full access to my kitchen all the time and makes prepping salads pretty easy-it would be challenging to fit my lunch salads in a lunch bag/bring it someplace. Maybe that's what the OP meant?3 -
I take a salad to work every day I prepare them a day before. A salad is easy and travels well as long as you don't add dressing
I noted that dressing and other acids containing stuff will make them go floppy (gurken, for instance). WA those last minute if at all you want them then you can keep them about 24-30 hours when cold
My salads contain just about anything that is a veggie; red beet (boiled or roasted) shredded cabbage, lettuce any variety, carrot, fennel, turnip, parsnip, cucumber, radishes, celery
During the winter I used a lot of root vegetables (in a variety of colour) and pumpkin but I used them steamed So I'd make a large batch of steamed vegetables and then added those to the salad. Also in that case the salad held for 24 hours easily.
In the morning I take my salad out fo the fridge and to work and it will hold quite nicely outside of the fridge until lunchtime At work my salads are somewhat famous mainly because of their size1 -
Lolinloggen wrote: »I take a salad to work every day I prepare them a day before. A salad is easy and travels well as long as you don't add dressing
I noted that dressing and other acids containing stuff will make them go floppy (gurken, for instance). WA those last minute if at all you want them then you can keep them about 24-30 hours when cold
My salads contain just about anything that is a veggie; red beet (boiled or roasted) shredded cabbage, lettuce any variety, carrot, fennel, turnip, parsnip, cucumber, radishes, celery
During the winter I used a lot of root vegetables (in a variety of colour) and pumpkin but I used them steamed So I'd make a large batch of steamed vegetables and then added those to the salad. Also in that case the salad held for 24 hours easily.
In the morning I take my salad out fo the fridge and to work and it will hold quite nicely outside of the fridge until lunchtime At work my salads are somewhat famous mainly because of their size
How do you transport it? My lunch salads are the size of a mixing bowl, I'd have no idea how to bring it out of the house, unless maybe I just plastic wrapped the top of the bowl?0 -
I put diced up leftover pizza on my salads. It's croutons, meat, cheese, and vegetables all in one.8
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Lolinloggen wrote: »I take a salad to work every day I prepare them a day before. A salad is easy and travels well as long as you don't add dressing
I noted that dressing and other acids containing stuff will make them go floppy (gurken, for instance). WA those last minute if at all you want them then you can keep them about 24-30 hours when cold
My salads contain just about anything that is a veggie; red beet (boiled or roasted) shredded cabbage, lettuce any variety, carrot, fennel, turnip, parsnip, cucumber, radishes, celery
During the winter I used a lot of root vegetables (in a variety of colour) and pumpkin but I used them steamed So I'd make a large batch of steamed vegetables and then added those to the salad. Also in that case the salad held for 24 hours easily.
In the morning I take my salad out fo the fridge and to work and it will hold quite nicely outside of the fridge until lunchtime At work my salads are somewhat famous mainly because of their size
How do you transport it? My lunch salads are the size of a mixing bowl, I'd have no idea how to bring it out of the house, unless maybe I just plastic wrapped the top of the bowl?
Well there are plenty sealable lunch boxes available everywhere. Just have a google or try Amazon. I use this one https://mepal.com/en/lunchbox-ellipse-duo-nordic-green-107640092400
They have others too. Also plenty other suppliers Tupperware to Sistema to whatever brand is local Any homeware store has these types of things0 -
Lolinloggen wrote: »Lolinloggen wrote: »I take a salad to work every day I prepare them a day before. A salad is easy and travels well as long as you don't add dressing
I noted that dressing and other acids containing stuff will make them go floppy (gurken, for instance). WA those last minute if at all you want them then you can keep them about 24-30 hours when cold
My salads contain just about anything that is a veggie; red beet (boiled or roasted) shredded cabbage, lettuce any variety, carrot, fennel, turnip, parsnip, cucumber, radishes, celery
During the winter I used a lot of root vegetables (in a variety of colour) and pumpkin but I used them steamed So I'd make a large batch of steamed vegetables and then added those to the salad. Also in that case the salad held for 24 hours easily.
In the morning I take my salad out fo the fridge and to work and it will hold quite nicely outside of the fridge until lunchtime At work my salads are somewhat famous mainly because of their size
How do you transport it? My lunch salads are the size of a mixing bowl, I'd have no idea how to bring it out of the house, unless maybe I just plastic wrapped the top of the bowl?
Well there are plenty sealable lunch boxes available everywhere. Just have a google or try Amazon. I use this one https://mepal.com/en/lunchbox-ellipse-duo-nordic-green-107640092400
They have others too. Also plenty other suppliers Tupperware to Sistema to whatever brand is local Any homeware store has these types of things
Looking at that container I'm realizing how big my salads actually are, I need to take a picture lol 1 -
I work full time and have salad everyday. Either me or my housemate assembles it - the good thing then is sometimes I have no idea what I am going to get and it's a fun surprise!!!
Sometimes at the weekend I'll do a root vegetable/cabbage coleslaw type base. I like this one from Ottolenghi[url="http://"] but sometimes I'll make my own up - usually finely chopping cabbage, and using Tahini, oil, lemon juice etc. as a base. Making that at the weekend allows the vegetables to soften a bit.
Then the night before, it's throw things together - dressings are kept in a mini jam jar from having a cream tea at a National Trust house for adding later.
Mixes will usually include some of the following -
tomatoes
cucumber
cornichon
capers
olives
lettuce (variety)
finely sliced broccoli or cauliflower
finely sliced raw mushroom
beetroot (raw or cooked)
carrots
spring onion
sweetcorn
peppers
occasionally fruit - oranges work well
then a protein - feta cheese, ham, spiced sausage, goats cheese, smoked cheese, hard boiled egg, chicken etc. all work very well. Or roasted and spiced chickpeas are a good addition
I sometimes add seeds such as sesame as well.
I might also add a leftover carb from my dinner - potatoes, quinoa, giant couscous, pasta all work well.
You can go pretty wild with the ingredients. salad doesn't HAVE to be just lettuce and tomatoes!!!
It all gets crammed into a plastic tub and tipped out onto a plate at lunchtime.
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I made a roasted sweet potato salad this week and it's delicious
https://www.averiecooks.com/?s=sweet+potato+salad1 -
My favorite is mixed lettuce, black beans, some type of cheese, bacon crumbles, hardboiled egg, cucumber with salsa as dressing or hot sauce mixed with a little ranch for dressing. I usually eat with some crackers as well.0
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Glad to see I'm not the only one eating mixing-bowl sized salads I scanned the thread and apologies if this has already been mentioned and I missed it - I often add crushed tortilla chips to mine. I love the crunch and touch of salt. 0
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Lolinloggen wrote: »Lolinloggen wrote: »I take a salad to work every day I prepare them a day before. A salad is easy and travels well as long as you don't add dressing
I noted that dressing and other acids containing stuff will make them go floppy (gurken, for instance). WA those last minute if at all you want them then you can keep them about 24-30 hours when cold
My salads contain just about anything that is a veggie; red beet (boiled or roasted) shredded cabbage, lettuce any variety, carrot, fennel, turnip, parsnip, cucumber, radishes, celery
During the winter I used a lot of root vegetables (in a variety of colour) and pumpkin but I used them steamed So I'd make a large batch of steamed vegetables and then added those to the salad. Also in that case the salad held for 24 hours easily.
In the morning I take my salad out fo the fridge and to work and it will hold quite nicely outside of the fridge until lunchtime At work my salads are somewhat famous mainly because of their size
How do you transport it? My lunch salads are the size of a mixing bowl, I'd have no idea how to bring it out of the house, unless maybe I just plastic wrapped the top of the bowl?
Well there are plenty sealable lunch boxes available everywhere. Just have a google or try Amazon. I use this one https://mepal.com/en/lunchbox-ellipse-duo-nordic-green-107640092400
They have others too. Also plenty other suppliers Tupperware to Sistema to whatever brand is local Any homeware store has these types of things
Looking at that container I'm realizing how big my salads actually are, I need to take a picture lol
Uhm it is 1,5L It is a salad bowl that fits in there - I know form experience Large salad bowl tip it in scrunch and yes there it is. Takes a little pushing to get the air out but it does it The pic does not do it justice. Not sure why I am even defending myself here
Besides It is just an idea, then then take two of them - just think outside the box - use google (the last one is also just an idea
My sincere apologies for just trying to be helpful
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Kathryn247 wrote: »I put diced up leftover pizza on my salads. It's croutons, meat, cheese, and vegetables all in one.
This is the best thing I have ever read on the MFP boards.1 -
I was never able to eat huge salads responsibly because I like a comparatively high ration of dressing to other stuff, but since they started making delicious Greek yogurt dressings, I can make ginormous salads with tons of dressing for way less calories than I could wrangle before!2
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