Salads have long been a mainstay of the health-conscious. But what if you’re tired of eating the same old lettuce and tomato salad or a few leaves of iceberg lettuce on the side? How do you make your salads more interesting, varied, and satisfying?
We have five steps for dressing up that boring old bowl of lettuce and veggie side salad into something delicious, filling, and healthy.
Why eat large salads?
There are so many reasons why you should eat salad as a main meal if you can.
- They are filling and can be delicious! The fresh, crunchy taste of vegetables brings in lots of texture and heartiness which can really satisfy the appetite until your next meal. They also usually take a long time to eat which helps you feel full
- Skyrocket your nutrition! Eating a salad every day is going to dramatically increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Having a smoothie for breakfast and then a salad for lunch daily is probably going to crush your nutrition goals for the day.
- Many salad recipes can be made in just 15 minutes or less! It’s easy to whip up your favorite ingredients into something healthy for dinner with very little effort especially if you meal prep which leads us to…
- Salads are the perfect dish for meal prep. Spending an hour or so when you come home from the grocery store cutting up your produce, preparing any grains or proteins, storing them properly, and then blending up a big jar of tasty salad dressing means you’ll have a healthy lunch in minutes throughout the week!
- There’s no working over a hot stove. While some elements of salad like grains or beans need to be cooked, you certainly are not bent over the stove for hours at a time. Grains and beans can be cooked in a pressure cooker which keeps the heat and steam to a minimum.
So, give this salad formula a try and if you don’t want to have to keep coming back to this page, enter your details here to get a PDF download of our graphic to stick on the refrigerator.
Step 1: Choose your greens base
The idea of a base green salad is one every person should do if they like greens. The benefits of these leafies include high fiber, low calories, and they are protein-packed. Greens are the most nutrient dense of pretty much all foods on the planet.
You can mix and match the base greens in your salad to create a unique flavor palate if you want to. You may want to have some variety for texture as well, like different lettuces or other vegetables you enjoy eating with salads. The most common varieties are spinach, kale, lettuce (all sorts), arugula, butter lettuce, radicchio, watercress, mizuna, and more. Add three cups to your salad bowl.
Step 2: Add whole grains and/or legumes
You can make your salad even more satisfying and filling by adding beans or whole grains. Quinoa, brown rice, barley, lentils, beans, or a meat replacement such as tofu or tempeh are full of nutrients. The protein and fiber in these which will satisfy you for hours after eating! Add one cup total, ideally a mix of at least two.
Step 3: Add veggies and/or fruit
Veggies and fruit are your best friends when it comes to a salad. They provide the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients that you need for an energizing lunch or dinner! Examples of veggies include cucumbers (cut in half lengthwise), bell peppers (cleaned out with seeds removed) tomatoes (all sorts ), carrots either sliced or grated; broccoli (lightly steamed or raw) is also amazing as well as strawberries, blueberries or cubed mango. Add between one-to-two cups or a range of at least one of these-you’ll get all the nutrients plus plenty of color with this meal!
Veggies and fruit are your best friends when it comes to a salad. They provide the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients that you need for an energizing lunch or dinner! Examples of veggies include cucumbers (cut in half lengthwise), bell peppers (cleaned out with seeds removed) tomatoes (all sorts ), carrots either sliced or grated; broccoli (lightly steamed or raw) is also amazing as well as strawberries, blueberries or cubed mango. Add between one-to-two cups or a range of at least one of these-you’ll get all the nutrients plus plenty of color with this meal!
Step 4: Add healthy fats
Fats are essential for a healthy diet. One or two tablespoons of wholefood fats in your salad give you all the nutrients you need. A few nuts, seeds or some avocado cubes give added texture and flavor.
Be careful though, it is crucial to be aware of how much dietary fat we consume every day because it can make or break our health habits. Eating one tablespoon up to two tablespoons on salads or other vegetables will provide us with enough nutrition while keeping us from going overboard by adding unhealthy amounts onto what should be a nutrient-rich plate!
Step 5: Finish it all off with a tasty dressing
A scrumptious salad is what takes a sad salad to an appetizing and delicious meal. Gone are the days when all that was put over salads were a bit of vinegar, vegetable oil or lemon juice with little dried herbs if we were lucky. Now we have delightful vegan dressings for our salads that are creamy and divine! Choose a salad dressing that has a little sweet, a little salty, and a little sour and some bitterness. There are a million recipes out there for you to try and while fat is often a necessary component for dressing, try to choose your fats from whole foods sources such as nuts, seeds or avocado if you can.
In conclusion, if you want to enjoy a delicious salad as your main meal, keep these five steps in mind and don’t forget to get the PDF printable to keep on your refrigerator for some salad reminders and inspiration.
Let’s Discuss!
We’d love to hear from you! Do you have any questions? Any other tips you’d like to share with the community? Do you have a favorite salad combination? Let us know in the comments below!
