Salads

I like jicama, kohlrabi, radishes, fruit (fresh or dried), small amounts of nuts or seeds (I especially like shell-less pumpkin seeds/pepitas), water-pack artichoke hearts or hearts of palm, beans (cooked green beans or cooked/canned dried beans), sugar snap or other edible-pod peas, sweet corn kernels, cauliflower, broccoli. zucchini, green or black olives, any type of pickled vegetable, hard boiled eggs. Greens other than lettuce, or different types of lettuce, can be good: Cabbage, arugula, baby kale, spinach, radicchio, etc.

A few things in that list are more calorie-dense than usual green-salad ingredients - like dried beans, corn, eggs - but have some useful nutrients not in most salads that I think make them worthwhile to add sometimes for variety as well as that nutrition.

Sometimes I roast a pan of assorted vegetables, eat some hot then put some in the fridge for later use in salads or for reheated use in sandwiches or other dishes. Things like parsnips, turnips, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potatoes, beets, white potatoes, and more are good. Personally, I also like roasted eggplant in salads, but if you don't like mushrooms I think the texture of roasted eggplant might be off-putting.

Some other options I don't usually use but think can be good are bamboo shoots or baby corn.

I swap lettuce for spinach, far more nutrition per bite. Then add carrots, cheese, radishes, cucumber, green pepper, salted sunflower seeds, slivered almonds. I don't use salad dressings, never found one I like the flavor of, and most are a ton of calories.

A whole category I forgot, one that's mostly only realistic for people who have gardens or growing pots: Some flowers are delicious in salads.

Some people like the "flowery" tasting flowers like rose petals or lavender, but I'm not a fan of those.

But nasturtiums, both flowers and leaves, are wonderful: Sort of spicy, but not hot-spicy like hot peppers.

Some herb flowers are very good, too, but a person really needs to pick them IMO before the seeds firm up to crunchy. Most taste like the herb leaves. Some I've enjoyed most are the flowers of borage (cucumber-ish flavor), chives , sage. They're really pretty in a salad, too.

In my world, it's mostly a grow-your-own option, since flowers sold for bouquets may have insecticide or something on them. Buying them at a farmers market, where you can find that out, is probably OK. Occasionally there are edible flowers in grocery stores but they're usually expensive IME.

Try the nasturtiums. Really.

I love salads with added grains or fruit and nuts. I make a batch of grains and beans and freeze them in half cup portions. I just pop one out when needed. Good cold or warm.

My personal faves for salads are sweet peppers and chickpeas.

A specific combo I really enjoy is raw sliced Belgian endives, apple or pear, nuts (pecan or walnut) and blue cheese, with some light yogurt dressing.

My absolute favourite dressing is a Thai satay (peanut/chilli)… the one I make has a lot of sodium and calories due to the peanuts, so if anyone has a low(er) sodium, low(er) calorie version, I would be eternally grateful!

(I only use the sauce mix, usually made with 50g of coconut milk powder and 200ml water):

I could live on salad covered with this FOREVER…

Makoto ginger salad dressing is a delicious addition. Its like what they have at Benihana

I remembered another good one:

Spinach, Pecans, Strawberries, Balsamic

If thats too sweet, use cherry tomatoes instead of strawberries

If you like a little tangy flavour I’ve found that adding a tablespoon or 2 of raw sauerkraut onto the salad is really good. Especially on an arugula salad with some parmigiana, pepper, sea salt and flax oil. (I use Wildbrine dill & garlic organic kraut)

A great low fat, but pricey, salad dressing I love is 1 part hazelnut oil, 1 part balsamic, 1 part soy sauce. Less oil than regular vinaigrette which is 3 or 4 parts olive oil to 1 part citrus or vinegar.

Grated carrot with chopped dill, lemon juice and a tiny drop of olive oil. Really switches plain carrot up!

Low fat humous or humous dressing https://frommybowl.com/hummus-salad-dressing/

Capers, particularly with tuna

Crumbled feta cheese

Toasted seeds

If allowance permits, roasted peppers from the jar but drained on paper towel - so good!

Adding parsley to your salad leaves adds a new flavour

And, not to everyone's liking but, marinated anchovies

my current favorite salad is lettuice with mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries, a little bit of candied pecans, fetta & raspberry vinaigrette

I make my own salad dressing with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, avocado oil and a little maple syrup, with less on the oils. I like to use a mix of lettuces, spinach, arugula and top it with crumbled low fat goat's cheese, toasted walnuts and strawberries. Toasting nuts brings out flavour so I use less. I also love putting roasted beet and goat's cheese on salad.

I've been eating the same salad 5 days a week for over a year now and every time I take a bite, I think to myself "damn this is good"…. keep in mind that my macros are for building muscle so I eat 140 grams of protein a day.

It's a jar salad and I prep them every Sunday for the work week.

5 Large Mason Jars with Shelled Edamame, Garbanzo beans, Carrot Shreds, Colored Bell Pepper, Grilled Chicken and topped with Spinach/Arugula mix.

I make my own dressing - so simple: Lemon Juice, white vinegar and a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper.

42 Net Carbs

31 Fat

59 Protein

634 Calories

When I'm making salads my favorite way, I use romaine lettuce & fresh spinach, and add carrots, celery, radishes, chopped tart apple, craisins, sunflower nuts, hard boiled eggs, and mushrooms. Then I top it was a nice raspberry vinaigrette. ☺️