What can I add to my boring salads to make them more enticing?

[SaladRoger]

I'm trying to get fitter and healthier and have started eating salads for lunch.

I generally stick to things like salad leaves, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, peppers, cooked chicken breast, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and a tiny sprinkle of salad dressing.

What can I add to make it more interesting and tasty?

I'm going to try pomegranate and some sort of seeds.

Any other suggestions, preferably ones that don't cost too much.
Thanks

You could try entirely different salads without leaves eg

chickpeas, crunchy veg, red onion, feta

Lentils, roast veg and goats cheese

Asian slaw - grated carrot, thinly sliced cabbage, spring onion, peanuts, sesame/soy/ginger dressing

Waldorf - apple, grapes, celery, walnuts, yoghurt/mayo dressing. Add cold chicken if you like

”cowboy caviar” with black beans, sweetcorn, avocado, tomato, red pepper, red onion

Watermelon, feta, mint, lemon zest

Second: thinly shredded cabbage - grates well, especially with carrot and cucumber, dried onions, sesame seeds and chickpeas or some other bean-type thing. Tinned green beans work well (you can pretend you are French!), or butter beans. Whatever is cheap round where you are. Or olives? A little bit of something like that can be cheap and filling, or you can treat yourself to a jar (artichokes? lentils?) that will last a few weeks in the fridge, but if they are in a vinaigrette or flavoured oil, a little will go a long way each day in giving a bit more interesting flavour. I try to stick to a sort of basic salad, but then mix up the 'extra' contents (beans, or something) so it feels like it's different and more interesting. I find that having a salad I would be happy to pay for in a cafe is much more inspiring and I'm more likely to keep to it rather than just lettuce and and meat.

Thinly sliced fennel is also very nice especially combined with lemon and parmesan shavings

Is the Siracha mayo drizzle homemade or bought ready mixed?

Definitely want to add more seeds, not sure about the celery, maybe in small quantities.

Interesting suggestion.

Handful of coriander, big squeeze of lemon and a load of fresh black pepper will liven up all kinds of salad

Also recommend getting a white cabbage and a red cabbage - very cheap and you can make a quick slaw

It's a popular salad base and you hadn't specified no wheat or bread.

Worcestershire sauce also usually contains wheat gluten btw.

I think the key to a good salad is chopping everything - it’s a bit more work, but you get a much better mix of flavours. And ditch the iceberg lettuce - there are tastier greens out there, like rocket or baby spinach.

Nuts.

Sriracha mayo drizzle is just mayo with sriracha mixed into it.

When you want to lose weight, the thing is to find strongly flavored foods so you get the same enjoyment from fewer calories. So, instead of Edam: mature cheddar. Instead of cream cheese: feta. Balsamic vinegar instead of balsamic glaze. Sundried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Pickled veggies instead of fried or baked (steamed is good but boring to eat and there’s a lot of chewing involved). Instead of canned tuna: smoked fish. The strongest blue cheese crumble you can find. Learn to use spices and herbs to season your chicken breast/thigh. Rye bread instead of pappy white slices or sourdough. Etc etc etc.

Salad topper seeds (they are toasted in soy etc)

Couscous is pasta yes

If you want a grain then bulgar or rice or barley perhaps?

Yeah as many different texture contrasts as possible makes the difference for me; especially if salad is the main feature

Oh and variety; different ingredients every day

Thanks, I'll give it a go though I am trying to avoid processed food

Things in jars chopped up. My favourite salad is tomatoes, peppers, sweetcorn, black olives and gherkins then nandos perinaise sauce. Once it's all mixed add the leaves. Delicious.

I love the idea of a weekly batch of roast vegetables and the different cheeses

I love pistachios but they're not cheap.

Not all together, but I add chopped apple, celery, thinly sliced fennel, red and yellow pepper, olives, capers. Beans such as cannellini beans, chickpeas, kidney beans.

I agree with themed salads rather than just adding everything to your existing salad - Otherwise, it will end up being samey again - just with more stuff in it

We sometimes do a Mexican salad which has avocados, chopped peppers, sweetcorn shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, Cheddar cheese, Cucumber, pomegranate, Chilies and a few pieces of crunchy nacho. Ranch dressing or sour cream dressing.

Crispy onions and bacon bits are always ‘general’ winners.

Its a jar of onions with vinegar and sugar. You can make it and its the same thing. It will be just as processed in your kitchen

That's just what I wanted. I didn't know such a thing existed

Cooked cold peas, broccoli, soya beans, cauliflower or sweetcorn are all nice in a salad.

I make a banging taboulleh but I’ve made it so often we’re all a bit over it now.

I’ve taken to making a really simple Greek salad (just coarse chopped tomato, cucumber, red onion with halved olives), zest and juice of a lemon, salt and extra virgin. It’s incredible. I add feta if more than just a side.

There is a sugar snap, pomegranate couscous Ottolenghi salad which has gained mythical status in my house too.