Salads...

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nytdreamer80
nytdreamer80 Posts: 123 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone,
I see that lunch meat that I love topping my salads with are packed with sodium. Anybody have any healthier ideas?? Generally speaking I usually pack my salads with Romain lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro. But I NEED a protein (why I add the lunch meat). Any ideas???
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Replies

  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    Grilled chicken strips are awesome on salads!
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    Make 5 of them on Sundays, cut them in strips, place in ziplock bags and put in the fridge. One for each day of the week for lunch to top your salads!
  • ashtonvv
    ashtonvv Posts: 144
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    chicken breast (the pre cut packaged ones usually have alot of sodium though so cook it yourself) almonds. Google is your friend, try dlife.com its a diabetic website, there is tons of ideas out there.
  • huizenm
    huizenm Posts: 74 Member
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    What about using hard boiled egg whites or beans as a protein instead of the lunch meat? I also echo the chicken strips. :)
  • steffiejoe
    steffiejoe Posts: 313 Member
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    Tuna or chicken. Starkist makes these tuna creations that make my salads taste yummy.
  • nytdreamer80
    nytdreamer80 Posts: 123 Member
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    Great ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you.
  • Cgrrrl
    Cgrrrl Posts: 5
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    Def. grilled chicken! Easy to do at home! Plus you can pick up cans of tuna in water, and I know Clover Leaf makes awesome varieties like lemon & pepper, Thai, etc. But you can do that yourself at home. I dress-up the tuna after draining the water with salad dressings, or my own squeeze of lemon, or sometimes curry and a bit of ginger. Tuna is really quite a chameleon.
    Otherwise, mix with vegetarian sources of protein, like beans of all kinds, quinoa (same thing, cook it then season it with whatever you want!), chickpeas, veggie ground-round (ditto to seasoning it yourself, some brands are a bit bland).
  • ToniSwejkowski
    ToniSwejkowski Posts: 8
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    You could do what I normally do and add Pineapple Italian Chicken. I take the chicken and cube it into half bite sized pieces and marinate it in low fat Italian Dressing over night. Using no non stick anything (just a non stick pan). I spoon the chicken into the pan so theres not alot of excess liquid and let it simmer in its own yummy juices lol the I take Fresh Pineapple and warm it up in another pan until golden brown and MMMMM Eat it upp! If I make 2 chicken Breasts, I have lunch salads for about 3-4 days depending how much chicken I decide to throw in lol
  • Cgrrrl
    Cgrrrl Posts: 5
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    OMG that pineapple chicken sounds amazing!
  • tiffypooh2u
    tiffypooh2u Posts: 299 Member
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    OMG that pineapple chicken sounds amazing!



    AGREED!
  • kelfly
    kelfly Posts: 15 Member
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    I have to watch my sodium but do like lunch meat on my salad. I usually get Boar's Head from the deli (at some major grocery chains or deli's). They have reduced sodium versions of many varieties: Ham, Turkey, Beef, chicken. Still contains quite a bit of sodium, but greatly reduced over the standard lunch meat. I make sure I use a low sodium dressing, and watch my sodium for the rest of the day and all is OK... I typically have less than 1200 per day total sodium.
  • nytdreamer80
    nytdreamer80 Posts: 123 Member
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    I will def. try out the chicken. Seems like a really good alternative! Now, just to find the time to do it!
  • kimborious
    kimborious Posts: 19
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    Tofu and/or cottage cheese for non-meat options. Not that I dont also love a slab of chicken, just thought I would throw that out there.
  • allenk1
    allenk1 Posts: 2 Member
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    you could boil eggs and use the egg white only
  • onefitdiva
    onefitdiva Posts: 331 Member
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    Hard boiled eggs, tuna drained (packed in water), chick peas, black beans, edamame, grilled chicken breast or roasted chicken breast with out the skin (stay away from the prepackaged strips they are high in sodium like the lunch meat).
  • dirtbikegirl5
    dirtbikegirl5 Posts: 391 Member
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    I like tofu on my salads. I also like cottage cheese, almonds or hard boiled eggs. I am not a huge fan of meat on salads, but I will sometimes put tuna fish on it.
  • Reedern
    Reedern Posts: 525 Member
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    Light Tuna in the pouches is a great topper and great source of protein, but lots less calories and sodium than lunch meat. and instead of dressing, use fresh squeased lemon! Really good
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Try beans, tofu, nuts, eggs. All super tasty :)
  • pdworkman
    pdworkman Posts: 1,342 Member
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    chickpeas
    orange sections
    pomegranate seeds
    smoked tofu
    sunflower seeds
    pecans
  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
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    Beans or chickpeas are great in salads. Cubed baked tofu. Nuts and seeds.

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