I mentioned last week that we are making tweaks to our plan. The Mr is already a big salad lover but I'm kind of indifferent on the subject. It's not that I don't like them on occasion but eating a salad rarely fills me up. As I started looking at salad add in's from vegan and vegetarian vloggers, I was able to get some ideas that have given us some good, filling meals.
This was a great salad...
A spring mix salad tossed with 2 tbsp of TJ's Bacon Onion Vinaigrette with roasted sweet potato, clementine wedges, half a serving of walnuts and topped with an egg. It came in at 470 calories.
We had this next one a few nights later...
Thai shrimp salad. I made a thai-like dressing out of 2/3 cup of chicken bone broth, 2 tbsp of creamy all natural peanut butter and 1 tbsp of chipotle Tabasco sauce microwaved until thickened. I pre-made some black rice and added 1/3 cup of that over the salad with clementine wedges, a sprinkle of broccoli slaw, carrots and garlic shrimp. 450 calories
Another favorite was a Mexican style salad...
Spring mix tossed with the TJ's vinaigrette, carrots, corn, black beans, red peppers and walnuts with 4 oz of salmon. 550 calories.
This was kind of a California/Hawaiian hybrid...
Grilled, marinated ahi topped with orange zest and sesame seeds, 1/3 cup pineapple, 1/2 avocado (bleck), red pepper, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli slaw and a servings of walnuts.
Eating a huge salad takes quite a bit of time so it allows me time to get full by forcing me to eat slower. We'll get in the habit of having 1-2 big salads per week. I found a new dressing that is low on sodium and sounds really good so I'm sure I'll be reviewing that soon.
This change has also made it feel like I'm out of a food rut since I can use so many add ins with seasonal product and use alternate sources of protein like eggs and nuts if I don't feel like defrosting something.
How often do you eat salads? What are your favorite add in's?
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I'm a big fan of these. You've done some very creative ones and you're right in that it makes you eat slower. I find myself struggling to get those last bites in because I am so full. I also find myself surprised that I'm not hungry later either so we can definitely keep these up!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the new ideas!
ReplyDeleteAndie Mitchel from canyoustayfordinner.com (that is now like andiemitchell.com) eats a salad every day for lunch. I'm attempting to eat a salad every day (either meal) because I hate counting calories and this seemed like a good alternative for me - I don't do a lot of non-veg/fruit add-ins so it's not a huge calorie bomb for me.
One of my favorite things is to go to a restaurant with a great salad bar. YUM!
ReplyDeleteAt home I'm not as good about making salads as I should be. I want a "kitchen sink" salad (my late MIL called it that, everything but the kitchen sink) but I'm not willing to do that much prep most of the time.
I throw in all the veggies I can find and use either a low cal ranch or fat free French dressing. For protein I throw in chicken, ham, beans, chickpeas, depending on my mood and what I have on hand ready to go. A salad like that is usually lunch rather than supper. When I really plan ahead I make 3-4 days worth of salads in mason jars for work lunches.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like avocados.
ReplyDeleteWe eat them every couple of months, but I would like to add them in more often because my kids love them! I usually will have ham or chicken breast cut up, and other toppings available, and they can make their own. It's a win for my family, because everyone can customize their own to their liking. It's also nice to have everything prepared and then in small containers in the fridge to use leftover toppings to make salads for work lunches. Favorite toppings: ham, chicken, steak, fruit, sunflower seeds, walnuts, dried berries, homemade croutons, cheese, and a variety of dressings.
ReplyDeleteAvocados too
DeleteThis is GREAT inspiration for me! I'm starting a February challenge tomorrow, where I plan to eat a salad for lunch every day (to expand my range of veggie eating, haha). Yours look delicious!!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite summer salads is Quinoa, black beans and corn cooked together with taco seasoning, served over greens, with green onion, mango, and avocado (or some cheese if you prefer!) with a bit of salsa and some lime juice if you need extra "dressing".
ReplyDeleteWow those all look really good! I must admit I'm a plain jane kind of salad girl. I like the simple veggies in mine with a simple dressing. I can handle adding a bit of steak strips in there but that's about it. I can't do ham, chicken (maybe a little chicken), shrimp, etc. And absolutely no fruit or nuts mixed in. Yech. I'm uber boring that way. LOL
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