What do you put in your salads?

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Replies

  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    I make taco salad. I just make up big batch of chicken on Sunday and flavor with homemade taco seasoning (or salsa if I am lazy) and then I have the meat for all week. I throw together the veggies and put some cheese on it. Bring a little sour cream and salsa and I am set. I keep meat separate so I can heat it up a little since i don't like cold chicken too much. If I have extra carbs I will crush up a 1oz bag of Doritos for some crunch.
  • giggles7706
    giggles7706 Posts: 1,491 Member
    Been wanting to do something more with my salads. Some really good ideas here!
  • Skeena4
    Skeena4 Posts: 209 Member
    lettuce or spinach (greens - blah blah)
    apples, cherry tomatoes, carrots, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower
    generally what's in the fridge :-) oh once i tried a tin of corn it was good.

    almonds, eggs, tuna (not all at once of course, I usually just pick one protein)
  • MaybeAMonkey
    MaybeAMonkey Posts: 247
    I'm also not a fan of iceberg, I just don't see the point as there's no flavor to it. My base is usually a spring mix (red, green, endive, arugula, etc), fresh spinach, or bibb lettuce (or all of the above) and then I usually do some or all of the ingredients below depending on if I'm in the mood for a sweet or savory salad:

    Sweet salads: dried cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, cubed apples, kiwi, grapes, cucumber, snap peas, feta and/or provalone and/or mozzarella cheese, sliced almonds and/or sunflower seeds, seasoned grilled chicken with raspberry vinaigrette.

    Savory salads: sweet peppers (red, orange, and yellow), pepperorcinis, black and/or green olives, snap peas, celery, cucumber, carrots, feta and/or provolone and/or mozzarella cheese, sliced almonds and/or sunflower seeds, hard boiled egg (usually no yolk), seasoned grilled chicken with balsamic vinaigrette (and sometimes I throw in cubed salami if there's room in my calorie count).
  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    -romaine lettuce
    - lots of edemame because i find it filling and it has plenty of protein
    - Greek Feta
    - Cucumbers
    - bell peppers
    - salmon or chicken
    - crispy chow mein noodles

    and to get the biggest variety, I frequently switch up the dressing.
  • fordguy74
    fordguy74 Posts: 108 Member
    I like to bake turkey or chicken in some hot sauce and have a buffalo chicken salad.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I make a fruit one with apples mixed berries, walnuts, cranberries and Greek yogurt.

    I make a protein salad with spinach, tuna, cheese, eggs, copped chicken breast, ripe olives and red peppers.
  • ScarletShopaholic
    ScarletShopaholic Posts: 169 Member
    bump, keeping some of these ideas :happy:
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    My favorite has spinach, black beans, broccoli, cucumber, grilled chicken (or shrimp), pico de gallo, and sometimes some kalamata olives or avocado.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    Sunflower kernels and sliced strawberries are also great in salads. I use the kernels instead of croutons. And the strawberries rock if you are using balsamic vinegar in/as your dressing.
  • Jezebel9
    Jezebel9 Posts: 396 Member
    The most nutritionally complete food source in the world: hemp seeds; this is standard. But to spice things up, I also add in grapes, apples, olives, nuts, strawberries...
  • Ohbutiloveicecream
    Ohbutiloveicecream Posts: 37 Member
    Ooh. Great thread!

    My default salad base is:

    greens (romaine, spinach, mixed greens, etc.)
    bean (chickpea, black, red, white, etc.)
    meat (occasionally, and whatever is on hand/leftover: baked chicken, salmon, meatballs, meatloaf, etc.)
    pico de gallo*
    sweet corn
    avocado*

    *I'll like to mash the avocado with the pico de gallo in lieu of dressing
  • LilSomethin
    LilSomethin Posts: 545 Member
    Romaine lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, feta cheese and Kens Light Options Raspberry Walnut...Yum Yum!!!!! Eat this a couple days a week and never get bored :)
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
    bump
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    I also make my own Japanese-style ginger garlic dressing to use on salads. Sooo good! It has in it:

    olive oil
    rice wine vinegar and lemon juice (equal amounts of each)
    low sodium soy sauce
    grated fresh ginger
    grated fresh garlic
    sesame oil (only about a teaspoon - when I have it in the house).

    I make the dressing up in my old Good Seasons cruet - you know the glass bottle with the plastic pouring lid that is pre-marked for mixing the salad dressing packets? I just use the lines on the cruet for guidance. Oils to the O line, soy sauce using the W (water) line, and the lemon and rice vinegar to the V line. The garlic and ginger I add in according to my own taste (I like quite a bit!). Shake it up, and put it in my fridge. It has a lot of flavor, so I don't need to use much at all. Portioning it out at about 1 tablespoon at a time, it lasts me a good two to three weeks.
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,296 Member
    I'm usually very plain/boring when it comes to salads. If I make it myself, it consists of romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, and dressing.

    If I don't make it myself, (i love a good chef salad), lettuce, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, cheese, ham or grilled chicken. Everything tastes better when someone else makes it!!
  • retunks
    retunks Posts: 34 Member
    I use romain heart and add cherry tomatoes, celery, broccoli, 2 kinds of cheese, walnut pieces, cherry cranberries, raw sunflower seeds, blueberries, shredded carrots,
    Takes a while to make it, but is very good.
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    I start with a bed of mixed greens, then I throw whatever's in my fridge on there. Scraps of produce that I want to use before it goes bad, etc. Today it was mushrooms, broccoli and slices of yellow pepper. Could be scallions, grated ginger, chow mein noodles, lentils or chickpeas, grated carrots, snow peas, asparagus, beats, avocados, arugula, whatever I have on hand.

    My family is from Cuba, and there, "a salad" is basically "a pile of non-meat." I've heard people refer to a few slices of avocados with a pinch of sea salt as "a salad." :)
  • briyowes
    briyowes Posts: 757 Member
    I get these packs from Wal-mart of "artisan" lettuce. Has 4 different kinds. I love red leaf lettuce. I mix up the different kinds and add some baby spinach. Occationally tomatoes, and mushrooms, but usually just croutons and dressing. I grew up an Ott's girl, then decided I like ranch, however, I recently found something healthy and so stinking delish: Raspberry vinegrette. WOWIE! Add just an ounce or so of grilled chicken and some fresh parm, delisioso!

    I love the artisan lettuce also. Aldi's had some for only $1.69 at one point, but I haven't seen it for a while. So, I buy the sweet butter lettuce and spring mix from Aldi's. These are some of the regulars on my salads:

    grilled chicken or tuna in pouch
    boiled egg
    dried cranberries
    shredded carrots
    broccoli slaw
    red, yellow, orange peppers
    mushrooms
    cucumbers
    grape tomatoes
    parmesan cheese crumbles
    Salad Toppings (sprinkles including sunflower seeds, pine nuts, bacon bits, and other items)
    Onion & Herb Mrs. Dash
    Walden Farms 0 calorie Bacon Ranch or Raspberry Vinaigrette
  • PhenomeNae
    PhenomeNae Posts: 130 Member
    i usually do a 50/50 mix of spring lettuce and baby spinach
    then i add...
    baby portobella mushrooms
    shredded carrots
    grape tomatoes
    broccoli
    alfalfa sprouts
    cashews
    non fat cottage cheese
    chopped chicken breast
    shredded low fat mexican blend cheese

    sometimes i'll add
    avocado
    dried blueberries
    sunflower seeds
    few tablespoons of dressing
  • DrivenDiva
    DrivenDiva Posts: 233 Member
    bump
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
    The goldfish were perfect. I'm so thrilled to have a crunch without croutons!!

    As far as logging, I use my digital scale and weigh everything as I add it on. My computer desk is sorta in the kitchen (think Mom's Desk, as the newer floor plans call it), so it's easy enough to zip back and forth to add things in, or I jot the amounts down on a sticky note and add it later.

    I hate iceberg. If I wanted crunchy water, I'd get a glass of water with crushed ice. Huge fan of green leaf, red leaf, spinach, and occasionally romaine.
  • Alcereceda
    Alcereceda Posts: 8 Member
    I sautee a bag of cole slaw mix with pam spray and a sliced onion then when its softened I add a few drops of hot sesame oil
    this really zips up a salad
    I also have a container of sliced cucumbers soaking in seasoned rice vinegar and add them too- yummy!!!!!
    They make tubes of ginger, garlic, lemongrass- these mixed with some vinegar or calorie free dressing makes it more interesting and tasty- enjoy
  • fitnotfluffy
    fitnotfluffy Posts: 213 Member
    I use Dole lettuce mixes, cherry tomatoes, sliced up cucumbers, mushrooms, mandarin oranges, craisins, canned tuna, shredded cheese, sliced up ham, strawberries, blueberries, crushed up pita chips, whatever i can find. I always get really creative with my salads. I always like adding fruit though, it really just changes up the whole idea of a salad for me :)

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