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Your salad doesn’t have to suck.
I love a salad. But you should know that I’m not the kind of girl who throws together tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce and calls it a day. No thank you. I want a salad that I look at and actually want to eat.
When you remove the typical salad ingredients that undo all the good we’re doing by eating salad in the first place (like cheese, fried onions, croutons, and sugary dressing) your salad can look pretty pitiful.
So let’s do better. Let’s build a salad that is truly good for us and delicious. Let’s think outside the box.
Go big or go home.
An amazing salad (without the junk) should follow this easy formula. Pick a little from each category. The more the merrier.
Protein + Traditional Veggies + Not So Traditional Veggies or Fruit + Something Crunchy + Dressing
Protein: Chicken, Beef, Seafood, Turkey, Eggs
Traditional Veggies: Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumber
Not So Traditional Veggies or Fruit: Avocado, Broccoli, Carrots, Guacamole, Grilled Onions, Grilled Peppers, Raisins, Dried Cranberries/Cherries/Blueberries/Strawberries (if made without sugar), Fresh Blueberries/Strawberries/Mandarin
Something Crunchy: Sunflower Seeds or Raw/Dry Roasted Nuts including Macadamia Nuts, Hazelnuts, Cashews, Almonds, Pecans
Dressing: Cilantro Citrus Vinaigrette (my favorite), Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Avocado Pico de Gallo, Tessemae’s Dressings, Dump Ranch from Whole Sisters
It’s that simple!
Do not hesitate to bring some of these ingredients when you’re heading out to eat. When I’m doing a Whole 30 I do it all the time if I know I’ll be at an establishment with limited options.
So next time you’re dreading a salad take a good look at your plate. Are you missing a category entirely? Maybe you have traditional veggies but no not so traditional veggies or fruit. Maybe you’ve forgotten to include something crunchy. Once you get the formula down I promise your salads will be filling and fun to eat. Be creative and put together a salad that truly feels like a meal.
I love making salad, the more colour the better! Your blog has given me so many more ideas though, thank you! I was beginning to get bored with my own ingredients!
Love a good clean salad! I love adding fruit to get a sweet and savory salad.
Love these ideas! I have a tough time making homemade salads that are creative so this is super inspiring!
I love this formula! Too many people don’t like salads because they’ve only eaten lame ones. Truly delicious salads are complex and have a lot going on. Thanks for all of the ideas!
I love adding avocado to salads!
Me too! My favorite!
I love a good salad that doesn’t pack on lots of calories. This all sounds so good.
Love the idea of “Not So Traditional Veggies or Fruit” as a category to liven things up!
I think lack of flavor is a huge problem people have with salads. For me I love them mixed with tons of goodies. My favorite thing to add is pumpkin seeds. It adds so much flavor and is good fat.