I love this power green salad from Sprouted Kitchen. It’s great because it has some protein from the lentils and is delicious and unique. What I love best about it is that it lasts for days in the fridge, staying crunchy.
Best healthy salad recipes
Another nice and simple option is the following: grate beet and carrots in equal quantities. Wash and tear any lettuce of your choice (I like romaine for the vitamins and minerals it provides, such as calcium and vitamin C). Place all in a bowl and season with your favorite dressing, or a simple mix of balsamic, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper. This is a juicy, sweet and refreshing salad.
I also love cranberries and candied walnuts, so one of my other favorites involves these. Toss them with some romaine lettuce, Gorgonzola cheese, and vinaigrette, and you have a delicious and nutritious treat. The cranberries are a great source of antioxidants, and the walnuts provide heart-healthy fat.
If you want to experiment with broccoli salad, you could consider this recipe. I really appreciate the wholesome ingredients, as many such recipes involve bacon or other items I’d rather de-emphasize in my diet. The apple cider vinegar gives a good taste without adding much in the way of calories. Love that it incorporates just a small amount of honey for a little sweetness. This is a nutritious treat that is super simple to prepare.
Salad ingredients
I’m including some information on the characteristics of some of my favorite ingredients.
A. Lettuce
Lettuce is hydrating, refreshing, low calorie like all leafy greens. In terms of nutritional content, let’s take a cup of romaine lettuce as an example. One cup only provides about five calories! It also provides about half a gram of protein and fiber. You’ll also find a host of vitamins and minerals in romaine, such as calcium and potassium. Be aware that other varieties, such as iceberg, won’t contain as much in the way of micronutrients.
B. Kale
Kale is sturdy and can be massaged with olive oil or lemon juice to soften it up and let it absorb the flavor of whatever you’re seasoning it with or combining it with. There are several varieties of kale so you don’t get bored. Just like lettuce, kale also packs a nutritional punch. One cup of kale provides only about eight calories, as well as nearly one gram of fiber. Kale is rich in micronutrients as well, notably vitamin K and folate, among others.
C. Broccoli
Broccoli is another excellent choice for salads. Don’t forget to eat the stalk, which is a great source of fiber! Can be grated to make it easier to consume. Broccoli is delicious roasted on a veggie tray with a variety of other veggies. Broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables. One cup of raw broccoli contains only about 25 calories and nearly two grams of fiber. It’s packed with micronutrients like vitamins C and K.
If you’d like even more information about the nutritional benefits of vegetables in general, feel free to check out this post on why fruits and vegetables are good for you.
Time to have salads
All hours of the day are excellent for salad! You might be wondering what salads are good for breakfast. While we in the U.S. are not accustomed to eating salad in the morning, we can turn to the Australians for inspiration. This breakfast salad recipe incorporates romaine lettuce, avocado, cucumber, and egg as some of the main ingredients. For those who struggle to get their leafy greens in, this certainly helps.
A salad can be a lunch or dinner meal. When considering this, you will want to be sure your salad is substantial enough nutritionally. That means including some protein in your salad, which could take the form of beans, egg, lean meat, or fish, among other options. If you need other ideas, check out this post on plant-based protein.
Plant-based protein is excellent in terms of the micronutrients and fiber it provides, without all of the saturated fat and cholesterol of animal-based protein. You may also incorporate some whole grains; some whole-grain bread on the side or some quinoa as part of the salad will do the trick. You can get some dairy in by adding cheese. Ingredients to limit would be processed meat such as bacon, dressing high in saturated fat such as ranch, and fried items such as wonton wrappers.
You could even consider eating a healthy salad as a snack. If you have a mini-version of the salad you might have at a meal with protein and fat, this should keep you feeling satisfied.
