salads - how do you make them interesting?

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  • UpToTheChallenge
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    Nuts
    Fruit - strawberries or blueberries
    Chicken!
    Try different dressings or make your own with vinegars
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    First, I don't use lettuce. It's boring. I uses cucumbers, onions, chic peas, peppers, tomatoes, tuna and then give them a twist. Asian with mandarin oranges, smoked almonds and Ginger Soy, or Mediterranean with olives goat cheese (less sodium than Feta) and sun-dried tomatoes. I also like avocados and tomato with cottage cheese.
  • nitepagan
    nitepagan Posts: 205 Member
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    I like to have baby spinach, cucumber, carrots, celery, mushrooms, tomato and broccoli. I use Newman's Own light Ceasar Dressing, 4 tbsp. 240 calories. :flowerforyou:
  • tiamaria8182
    tiamaria8182 Posts: 120 Member
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    My fav right now is spring mix with dried cranberries, feta cheese, walnuts, avocado and raspberry vinaigrette.

    Chicken, hummus, tuna, alfalfa sprouts, and avocado are all good additions (not all together of course)
  • Aegelis
    Aegelis Posts: 237 Member
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    As I see it, salads are there to prevent me from chewing the furniture in the restaurant while I wait for my food.

    At home I'll make my own salads with spinach, romaine (no iceberg), sesame seeds, various cheeses, a slight drizzle of classic olive oil (not extra virgin), real bacon bits, shredded carrots, radishes, red onion, cucumber, red cabbage on top of a steak. Most of the time I skip the vegetables in that mix. It's all about saving calories.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    Can't claim these as my own but two of my favourite Brit chefs have come up with great ideas...

    Jamie Oliver: Rainbow Salad

    Simply grate several different root vegetables, pile of a plate and drizzle with a dressing made from olive oil, pesto and Greek yoghurt. I use my food processor for this and love varying mixtures of raw beetroot, carrot, red cabbage, white cabbage, courgette, sweet potato etc. So easy, just scrub, chop (leave skin on for extra fibre and nutrients) and bung in the processor with the grate setting on. Tip in a large dish for all the family to tuck into (comes out in stripes of rainbow colour). Put the leftovers in a sandwich box ready for lunch at work the next day - just chuck in a tin of tuna. Any leftovers the next day can be used as the basis for a vegetable soup.

    Allegra McEvedy: Superfood Salad (Serves two)

    200g broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
    120g peas, fresh or frozen
    100g cucumber, cut into slim batons
    100g good-quality feta cheese, crumbled
    20g alfalfa
    20g toasted seeds (we use sesame, sunflower, flax and pumpkin)
    50g avocado, cut into pieces
    30g quinoa, Fairtrade if possible
    Small handful flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
    Small handful mint, rough chopped
    2 dessert spoons lemon juice
    4 dessert spoons extra virgin olive oil

    1. Put the quinoa in a small pan. Cover with cold water plus about an inch then let it gently simmer until the water's gone - about 15 minutes. Spread it on a tray to cool to room temperature.

    2. Put an inch of hot water into a saucepan with a pinch of salt and cover it. Once boiling, drop in the broccoli and peas and put the lid back on. Drain after three minutes and run the veg under cold water to take all the heat out and keep them good and green.

    3. Now build your salad in layers, starting with the first ingredient on the list and ending up with the dressing (but only dress it just before you eat it).

    Yum yum yum!
  • Inacay
    Inacay Posts: 47 Member
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    I usually have salad for lunch or evening meal and I've managed to make them fairly interesting so far but I'm running out of ideas. Suggestions please???

    There are many types of salads not made with lettuce. To make a fun salad, I love going to the Farmer's Market and buying unusual veggies. Like Pea leafs, daikon, rainbow chard.

    Here's a really yummy one.

    MUNG NOODLE SALAD:

    topped with Mung Noodles (For cooking instructions visit this website: http://www.thaifoodtonight.com/thaifoodtonight/recipes-MungBeanNoodleSalad.html)

    RAINBOW CHARD SALAD:

    Rainbow Chard, Tomatoes, Cesar Light, Crunchy Salad Toppings, and add your favorite seasonings.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
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    I usually put cheese, carrots, or tuna in my salads. Tuna in water is soooo flavorful! If you leave just a bit (about 1/4) of the "juice" in the can or packet then it kinda replaces some of the dressing with tons of flavor. It helps me to use less dressing.

    Other times I put in some Lemon Pepper Chicken. It is so easy to make. I just dice up chicken breast about the size of dice. With a tbsp of olive oil and a few big squirts of lemon juice in frying pan, I cook the chicken long enough to cook through, but not fry it. While you're cooking or afterwards dust the chicken with lemon pepper. Its a quick fix and a nice change for salads.

    I've also used spiced ground turkey. I cook ground turkey with a bunch of spices (whatever you like) and some crushed red pepper. It gives the salad a lot of flavor with some kick because of the red pepper. Super yummy!

    Then there is always all the veggies you can stand. I usually like to add corn, tomatoes, or onions in my salad. You could try putting in red or kidney beans...or any other bean you like. Just don't go overboard with the beans, they're packed with carbs, but still good for you.
  • tamheath
    tamheath Posts: 702 Member
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    ok, I admit I had to look up peperoncini (is it just me?). Thanks for the salad tip and enriching my word power today . :happy:

    15934974.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

    OK, that's funny! No, I did know peperoncini (just not how to spell it) but have learned many other things on these boards! Great ideas here. :drinker:
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    Today I realized the Planters Nut-rician digestive health mix is really good on a salad! it has almonds, pistachios, craisins, dried cherries and granola.
    I do make a dressing, a olive oil and rice rine vinegar with orange juice and dijon mustard.
    Other salads that I love-pear with gorganzola, shrimp with coconut, i also like avocado and pecan with a poppyseed dressing but you have to be careful, it can have a lot of fat calories, if that is something you are trying to watch, mandarin and almond is good too.
  • ashquin
    ashquin Posts: 248 Member
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    i made a salad today fro lunch. arugala, cherry tomatos cut up, half of an avacado, 1- 3oz can of tuna , balsamic and fresh lemon juice. was sooo good
  • cheeksv
    cheeksv Posts: 521 Member
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    Usually veggies like avocado, red and green peppers and on a good day pickles or just a little pickle juice as dressing. by good day I mean if I have had little sodium that day lol. Be careful becasue if you add too much a salad could easily start getting up their in cals.
  • insanely
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    I have made them by adding mexican bean, salsa, crushed whole wheat nachos and used a light Renees buttermilk or ranch dressing, say about 2 tbsp of dressing and 1/2 a cup of salsa.

    it kinda gives it a mexican feel and taste you could also add some avacado strips or roasted corn.

    this would give you your veggies, proteins, lean carbs etc?
  • baypathgradLyns
    baypathgradLyns Posts: 639 Member
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    I def like doing a southwest/taco type salad (I haven't tried crushing chips or crackers yet)...I put ground turkey w/Mrs Dash extra spicy seasoning (tastes like taco seasoning, but with no sodium), reduced fat mozz, salsa, romaine lettuce, I also sometimes cook the ground turkey w/kidney or black beans & mushrooms (I know, the mushrooms technically don't go in a taco/southwest salad, but I enjoy them :smile: )

    I also have bought this salad topper mix (I think it is Aurura brand-found in produce section) that has sesame sticks, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, & sliced almonds (in moderation it isn't too bad for you, like everything else)...

    Or I have just bought Craisins, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and threw those on my salad...

    I also throw chicken, tuna, or hard boiled eggs on salads as protien...
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    My current favourite is tinned tuna chunks, spring onions, red or yellow peppers, mixed up in a little mayo and blue cheese dressing, just under 200 cals and deeeeeeelicious!! :bigsmile:
  • dizzyblondegirlie
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    wow! loads of ideas. Thanks all. Keep them coming x
  • Birdsong
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    I've been making rice salads with quinoa, diced apples, seeds, shredded chicken, sometimes beets, and various cheeses. They are extremely filling and oooooh so good :)
  • MissCheese
    MissCheese Posts: 195 Member
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    I use mixed salad leaves, including spinach, rocket, watercress as they are better nutritionally with red peppers, spring onions, cucumber, grapes, boiled salad potatos, boiled egg, baby capers, blanched asparagus and blanched fine green beans.

    The dressing is what makes a salad delicious. I generally mix 1 tbsp of olive oil with 2 tbsp of good vinegar, a pinch of salt & pepper, half a teaspoon of english mustard and a clove of crushed garlic.
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
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    bump