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

Capers
Cornichons
Pickled veg
Pickled chillis
Raw grated or cooked packaged beetroot
Spring onions
Mini pickled onions
Olives
Anchovies
Tuna
Smoked salmon
fresh or tinned crab
Smoked oysters or mussels
Smoked mackerel
Prawns
Celeriac
Fennel
Radicchio
Chicory
Tinned sweetcorn
Tinned chickpeas
Tinned kidney beans or mixed bean salad (Napoli do a good one)
Edemame beans
Lightly cooked broccoli
Sesame seeds
Nigella seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Hazelnuts
Couscous
Bulgar
Flaked almonds
Pecans
Raisins
Crispy onions
Crispy bacon
Cottage cheese
Avocado
Hummus
Roasted veg/ratatouille
Fresh herbs
Lemon zest
Tahini
Ayvar

Peas. Cold new potatoes. Cold rice. Couscous. Grated carrot.

I toast pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a pan and chuck those on.
Feta
Chopped up sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar)

I really love the Leon salad recipe book for ideas.

Agree with the shaved fennel suggestion - I thought I hated fennel, but I quite liked this in a green salad the other day.

Couscous using stock cubes/herbs/tomato paste when making it for extra flavour boost

low fat mayo as a carrier for stronger flavours mixed in
eg
mayo plus horseradish/ chilli jam/ lemon and dill

Chilli cornichons. Love them. Pickled red onions, they come in a jAr.

Oranges and apples

I made a peach, prawn and avocado salad with the usual chopped up cucumber etc. Chop everything really small. I meant to add walnuts but forgot. I used a tahini dressing.

It’s the main (only) ingredient in the lovely Glasgow Salads I do. As usual, a ‘PP Nails It’

Toasted pine nuts or pomegranate seeds for a bit of crunch.

Walnuts, grilled hallumi, quinoa, olives, crumbled Stilton, pistachios.

Cress, comes in a little punet

Orange and red kidney beans is a delicious combo.

Massive bag of salad, basil, coriander, low fat mozzarella and Palma ham with a mustard dressing is literally one of my favourite meals

Apricots. Various types of seeds. Flavoured vinegars. Walnuts. Grated apple. Cooked and cooled frozen peas. Green beans. Quick pickled red onions. Thinly sliced red chilli. Gerkins.Grated carrot. Sesame oil. Crispy onions.

The best salad in the world is Little Gem, Parmesan, cooked and cooled frozen peas and balsamic dressing.

Mint
Honey
Balsamic glazes (Lidl do orange/raspberry flavours)
Apple
Walnuts
Toasted sesame seeds
Really strong cheddar in tiny cubes

You need a mixture of tastes and textures for a good salad. I do various chopped salad bits, a protein (chicken/ egg / goat‘s cheese), something crunchy (usually nuts, but has been croutons), something sweet such as fruit (apple/ blueberry/ strawberry), something sharp (usually spring onion, possibly pickled beetroot), an oil-based dressing on the leaves but something creamy and tasteful on top (caeser/ honey-mustard/ avocado).

1/2 bag parsley and 1/2 bag chives from Aldi/Lidl. Makes salad so much more tasty.

Roasted chickpeas
Fried cubes of tofu with spices

Highly recommend this one. Im sure you can buy if from places other than Tesco

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/302308837/?icid=ghsandapp_ghs_pdp_share

Croutons, strips of chicken breast, sardines, mackerel, salmon, tuna, potato salad, coleslaw, shedded carrot.

Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Chopped pecans or walnuts
Dried cranberries
Lean chopped grilled bacon
White or black beans, chickpeas, quinoa
Aubergine, mushrooms, courgettes, peppers, roasted with a spray of olive oil, garlic and italian herbs, then cooled - lovely with crumbled feta
Red jalapeños

I second this. The ‘fake Jen Anniston salad’ is really nice. Hopefully the pic loads