Favorite Salad?

2»

Replies

  • scarlettd12
    scarlettd12 Posts: 111 Member
    I loooove salads! The thing I like is that I can add so many veggies and the calories don't add up very fast.

    Typically my salad has:

    Spinach
    mushrooms
    onions
    tomatoes
    banana peppers
    Kraft Greek Vinaigrette with olive oil, feta, and oregano

    A few days ago I had a DELICIOUS salad. It sounds a little more "guilty" but when I added it to my diary, the calories really weren't that bad. I swear to you, every time I took a bite I was like "wow, this is amazing".

    Romaine
    tomatoes
    banana peppers
    ham cubes
    shredded cheddar (1/3 cup)
    caesar dressing (1 tablespoon)

    And when I am at work or out and about, my favorite salad is the Cherry Chicken Salad. I've seen it mentioned, but the one I get has:

    Mixed greens
    onions
    pecans
    dried cherries
    gorgonzola or bleu cheese crumbles

    My work puts an orange balsamic dressing on it as well as croutons. I skip both those and opt for a fat free raspberry vinaigrette. This salad is addicting. I always thought bleu cheese and cherries sounded gross together, but it is the best combination ever! I have to be careful with this salad though personally because the bleu cheese and pecans add up calories fast.

    **When I make salads at home, I try to always stick with the Kraft Greek Vinaigrette because it is low in calories (60-70 for 2 tablespoons I believe) and it is delicious. But sometimes I just CRAVE a creamy dressing like caesar or ranch. It is worth it to me to "give in" and use that dressing, but I just use half as much (1 tablespoon). My 1 tablespoon of caesar is 70 calories, so it's the same as the vinaigrette and it still coats the salad efficiently. It's good for me to be able to switch it up and still feel like I am enjoying myself.
  • PAnn1
    PAnn1 Posts: 530 Member
    So many delicious sounding salads here already! I have this one alot:
    A big bowl of Mixed greens, hearts of romaine lettuce or baby spinach,
    1/4-1/2 c. sliced & halved cucumbers,
    no sugar added mandarin orange cup,
    1/4-1/3 c. sliced green seedless grapes,
    1/2 of a sliced fresh pear,
    1/8-1/4 c. toasted walnuts or pecans,
    2 Tbsp. Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Sugar Free Raspberry Vinagrette Dressing,
    1/8-1/4 c. reduced fat feta cheese crumbles..
    I use more or less of the ingred., depending on how much room I have to play with calories and nutrients for the day. Sometimes I add Craisins or raisins. Sliced red onions are really good with this salad, too.
  • I'm very simple, I just eat a lettuce salad with a little spinach and some lite italian dressing, on occasion I also enjoy fruit salads.
  • LyneLM
    LyneLM Posts: 76 Member
    Either baby spinach or aragula,
    olive oil,
    a few drops of balsamic vinegar,
    fleur de sel & pepper,
    grated (or shaved) parmesan.

    Yum everytime..
  • abbiez
    abbiez Posts: 229 Member
    romaine lettuce, feta cheese, olives, pomegranate seeds, and greek vinaigarette! :)

    OR:

    romaine lettuce, feta cheese, black beans, hardboiled egg, and light ranch
  • My new favorite salad dressing is trader joes tahini sauce, it's by the hummus section and is so creamy and addicting! It tastes really sinful but it's not at all.

    I usually eat romaine, chicken, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and feta or goat cheese and a salsa or mustard as dressing but lately I've been doing romaine, salmon, feta and tahini sauce with a big squirt of Siracha. :)

    I love spicy things so sometimes I add a tablespoon of giardiana, which is the best decision ever.
  • VVEXVVEX
    VVEXVVEX Posts: 132 Member
    Whatever's in the house. I often try for:

    1 leaf (arugula, spinach, lettuce)
    1 nut (almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, sesame or pumpkin seeds [I know])
    1 cheese (ff feta, goat, parmesan)
    1 fruit (cranberry, apple, pomegranate, persimmon)
    1+ protein (tofu, chicken, avocado, chickpea, roast beef, leftover pork from last night)
    +whatever veggies are in the fridge: roasted root veggies, bell pepper, carrots
    balsamic vinegar + olive oil.

    ^this formula is my go-to as well, and lately I'm jazzing it up by experimenting with different oils/vinegar combos: tonight was walnut oil and quince vinegar, last night was citrus vinegar with a 3-6-9 omega oil. Also I buy beets in the prepared food section and dice them. Beets+walnuts+feta+spinach with chicken or tofu is fantastic.
  • TaraMKL
    TaraMKL Posts: 124 Member
    Either romaine or green leaf lettuce, chopped.
    I chunk the veggies and sprinkle them on top. My usual...

    english cucumber
    hot house tomato
    sugar snap peas
    baby carrots
    celery
    red bell pepper

    Sometimes I'll put on some tuna or sliced (grilled/baked) chicken. Otherwise I'll add kidney beans or chickpeas for protein.

    My fave salad dressing lately has been light balsamic viniagrette.

    Another variation is leftover taco meat (ground beef or turkey) and then combine salsa and light ranch to drizzle over the top. If I'm doing that, I'll use southwestern flavored black beans, too. Yum!!
  • live4turns
    live4turns Posts: 314 Member
    Baby spinach
    tomatoes
    avocado
    grilled chicken
    grated parmesan cheese
    Caesar dressing
    croutons
    canadian bacon (cooked in oven until crispy and then chopped into bits)
  • SweetMegz04
    SweetMegz04 Posts: 459 Member
    I loooove salads! The thing I like is that I can add so many veggies and the calories don't add up very fast.

    Typically my salad has:

    Spinach
    mushrooms
    onions
    tomatoes
    banana peppers
    Kraft Greek Vinaigrette with olive oil, feta, and oregano

    A few days ago I had a DELICIOUS salad. It sounds a little more "guilty" but when I added it to my diary, the calories really weren't that bad. I swear to you, every time I took a bite I was like "wow, this is amazing".

    Romaine
    tomatoes
    banana peppers
    ham cubes
    shredded cheddar (1/3 cup)
    caesar dressing (1 tablespoon)

    And when I am at work or out and about, my favorite salad is the Cherry Chicken Salad. I've seen it mentioned, but the one I get has:

    Mixed greens
    onions
    pecans
    dried cherries
    gorgonzola or bleu cheese crumbles

    My work puts an orange balsamic dressing on it as well as croutons. I skip both those and opt for a fat free raspberry vinaigrette. This salad is addicting. I always thought bleu cheese and cherries sounded gross together, but it is the best combination ever! I have to be careful with this salad though personally because the bleu cheese and pecans add up calories fast.

    **When I make salads at home, I try to always stick with the Kraft Greek Vinaigrette because it is low in calories (60-70 for 2 tablespoons I believe) and it is delicious. But sometimes I just CRAVE a creamy dressing like caesar or ranch. It is worth it to me to "give in" and use that dressing, but I just use half as much (1 tablespoon). My 1 tablespoon of caesar is 70 calories, so it's the same as the vinaigrette and it still coats the salad efficiently. It's good for me to be able to switch it up and still feel like I am enjoying myself.


    The Cherry Chicken one sounds SO good!! All these do actually!! :) I will have a big list this week for veggies!
  • scarlettd12
    scarlettd12 Posts: 111 Member
    I loooove salads! The thing I like is that I can add so many veggies and the calories don't add up very fast.

    Typically my salad has:

    Spinach
    mushrooms
    onions
    tomatoes
    banana peppers
    Kraft Greek Vinaigrette with olive oil, feta, and oregano

    A few days ago I had a DELICIOUS salad. It sounds a little more "guilty" but when I added it to my diary, the calories really weren't that bad. I swear to you, every time I took a bite I was like "wow, this is amazing".

    Romaine
    tomatoes
    banana peppers
    ham cubes
    shredded cheddar (1/3 cup)
    caesar dressing (1 tablespoon)

    And when I am at work or out and about, my favorite salad is the Cherry Chicken Salad. I've seen it mentioned, but the one I get has:

    Mixed greens
    onions
    pecans
    dried cherries
    gorgonzola or bleu cheese crumbles

    My work puts an orange balsamic dressing on it as well as croutons. I skip both those and opt for a fat free raspberry vinaigrette. This salad is addicting. I always thought bleu cheese and cherries sounded gross together, but it is the best combination ever! I have to be careful with this salad though personally because the bleu cheese and pecans add up calories fast.

    **When I make salads at home, I try to always stick with the Kraft Greek Vinaigrette because it is low in calories (60-70 for 2 tablespoons I believe) and it is delicious. But sometimes I just CRAVE a creamy dressing like caesar or ranch. It is worth it to me to "give in" and use that dressing, but I just use half as much (1 tablespoon). My 1 tablespoon of caesar is 70 calories, so it's the same as the vinaigrette and it still coats the salad efficiently. It's good for me to be able to switch it up and still feel like I am enjoying myself.


    The Cherry Chicken one sounds SO good!! All these do actually!! :) I will have a big list this week for veggies!

    I forgot the chicken in the cherry chicken salad! lol But obviously it has chicken. I prefer mine blackened!
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    1. mixed greens, dried cherries or cranberries, walnuts, pomegranate seeds, blue or goat cheese crumbles, balsamic vinaigrette
    2. butter lettuce, arugula, chopped apple, avocado, jicama or cucumber, fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice
    3. oranges, grapefruit, fennel, chopped olives, mixed greens, chicken or fish, and a dressing made with the reserved juices, a spoon full of dijon mustard and some olive oil
    4. I just made this one this week, it was excellent -- kale slaw with carrots and red cabbage: http://www.wholeliving.com/151383/kale-slaw-carrots-and-peppers
    5. Salad bar: mixed greens, carrots, bell peppers, garbanzo beans, roasted veggies, chicken or fish, quinoa, balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette
    6. napa cabbage, romaine lettuce, mint, parsley, bell peppers, cucumbers, peanuts, shrimp or steak, lime/honey vinaigrette
    7. avocado, orange or grapefruit, bell pepper, chicken or fish, cucumber, citrus vinaigrette
    8. arugula, roasted squash (or any other roasted veggies), dried cranberries or cherries, chopped nuts, chicken, bulgur/couscous/quinoa, balsamic vinaigrette

    I make my own dressing about 80% of the time. I buy all kinds of flavored vinegars and oils to use.

    You can make a great dressing pretty easily -- next time you are chopping onions, reserve about 2 tablespoons and finely chop them. Add 1/4 cup of your favorite vinegar or some lemon or lime juice, a spoon of dijon mustard, a spoon of honey or agave, salt and pepper, fresh herbs if you happen to be chopping them, and about 1/8 of a cup of oil. Shake it up and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. Instant vinaigrette.

    You can also make soy sesame dressing, pomegranate dressing, any citrus dressing with the same basic formula. You can even use a bit of jam for sweetening and thickening. Leave out the mustard, or the sweetener, up the oil or the acid. I don't believe in the 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar/acid. At most I do 1:1 ratio of oil to acid. Typically 1:2 oil to acid. You can use a lot more dressing this way.
  • EthanJeremiahsMama
    EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
    BUMP! these are helpful - great ideas!
  • CaptainGordo
    CaptainGordo Posts: 4,437 Member
    Potato Salad
  • dalgal26
    dalgal26 Posts: 781 Member
    1 cup dry whole whet rotini (cooked, drained and cooled)
    1 cup steamed broccoli
    2 tablespoons olive tapenade
    Mix all together and chill.

    Yummy
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    Greek Salad with Feta and kalmata olives!
    or
    Spinach,Strawberries, red onion and poppyseed dressing!
  • rainman3k
    rainman3k Posts: 174 Member
    Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad w/ Bolthouse yogurt based blue cheese dressing
  • strawberrie_milk
    strawberrie_milk Posts: 381 Member
    Romaine lettuce
    Grilled chicken
    Tomatoes
    Mushrooms
    Cucumbers
    Shredded cheese

    I feel like a weirdo since I never put dressing on my salads.
  • Greek Salad!

    Cucumber
    Tomato
    Olives
    Red Onions
  • cassiejo84
    cassiejo84 Posts: 49 Member
    My favorite salad isn't all that healthy, but it's delicious.

    Iceburg and Romain lettuce
    Diced boiled eggs
    Bacon cooked and crumbled
    sliced black olives
    shredded cheese (white and yellow mix, usually)
    ranch dressing
This discussion has been closed.