To think my salads are shit?

[Acunningruse]

Or at the very least, trapped in the 80s?!

We go on holiday in 30 days and I want to lose a ton bit of weight before we go so am planning on salad for lunch every day. Today I have ham, egg, lettuce, tomato cucumber and a bit of mayo. I think it'll be nice, but also like being transported back to my 80s childhood?!

The shops are full of exotic and tempting looking salads but I seem incapable of recreating anything similar at home. I tried one with chickpeas the other day and it was just chickpeas floating round my plate with a bit of onion and tomato.

What are your top homemade salads? Disclaimer I live in a very non exotic small town and do not have access to fancy delis etc.

Thanks!

Two current faves.

First is rocket (or mixed greens). Beetroot. Soft goats cheese. Precooked lentils ideally the tomato ones. Tomato sauce = dressing.

Second - mixed greens, just cooked buttery mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado and if not being veggie bits of bacon. Dressing balsamic.

Oh and I also like pear, blue cheese and walnuts in a salad with a honey dressing.

I eat salads all the time but really dislike the kitchen sink creations and prefer to keep them simple. I will possibly add tomatoes to the lettuce but never cucumbers or peppers. Sometimes grated carrot / beetroot / corn (not often)
Cucumber and avocado with rice vinegar/soy sauce/sesame oil
Cucumber and tahini dressing
Lettuce tuna onion and potato just balsamic and olive oil
Lettuce tuna onion and beetroot just balsamic and olive oil
Tomato and onion with either of the above dressings
Lettuce shredded carrot cucumber + few noodles or dumplings - asian variation dressing
Lettuce and tahini dressing with grilled chicken
Watermelon + feta / beetroot + feta balsamic olive oil

Pretty boring but fresh and light

Some excellent suggestions from PP. To summarise:

varied ingredients - if it's a vegetable, it can go into a salad; be adventurous!
incorporate some protein - chicken, salmon, boiled eggs etc
if it's a meal, add some complex/unrefined carbs - lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, wholewheat pasta, etc

But what lifts a salad from being okay to being delicious are:
the dressing - there are so many besides traditional vinaigrettes, e.g. Asian, Middle Eastern
herbs - parsley, basil, mint; I nearly always add a handful of herbs
other little touches like adding cheese/feta, nuts, fruit etc.

I think salad needs a crunchy element and a flavoursome dressing (often achieved with fresh herbs).

I’m lazy so do a lot of salad stuff from jars. Artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, olives. I find the oil from the antipasti and the vinegar combine nicely on tossing so a bit of seasoning, a bag of salad, drizzle of balsamic glaze. Serve with a bit of hot protein, salmon/ chicken done in the Airfryer and it’s very filling / delicious.

Salads are only good with the right dressing. I'm obsessed with yoghurt bases dressings.

I just put Greek yogurt, olive oil, red whine vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic granules together and it's banging

Nice little salad that makes a tasty lunch:

red peppers
celery
spring onions
parsley - all finely chopped
a can of tuna
dressing of a dollop of mayo, lemon juice, chilli sauce, mustard, salt, pepper
(add a few new potatoes to make it a more substantial meal)

I like pasta salad with some pasta, chicken or tuna, cucumber, sweetcorn, salad, tomatoe, edamame, fruit and then Greek yoghurt and mint. Then mix it together.

Mango, halloumi, melon, salad, cucumber, tomatoes and some olive oil is also nice

'Poke bowl' with rice, salad, smoked salmon, sweetcorn, pineapple, edamame/peas, cucumber and then some chili mayo stripes on top

There’s a salad dressing called Knorr Italian salad dressing and it’s able to transform any salad into the most delicious feast. My kids now LOVE salad and that’s practically unheard of right?! I just buy a mixed leaf bag, add cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red pepper and a bit of sweetcorn. Then I mix this spice with 3 tablespoons of oil and 3 tablespoons of water and pour on right before it’s time to enjoy. Honestly you will love it! Unfortunately I am only able to find this on Amazon in this country but maybe you have better luck. Try it, you won’t regret it - it’s far healthier than many other dressings but I agree with you plain salad is boring as hell. You need this.

A simple Greek salad, maybe bulked up with chickpeas or bulgur wheat: tomato, cucumber, feta, olives, red onions, plus bulk if you like, olive oil, lemon juice

Peach salad: rocket, spinach, cress, peaches, red onion, walnuts, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, cider vinegar

tricolore: mozzarella, tomatoes, avocado, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar

Roast beetroot, goats cheese, hazelnuts, pesto, maybe tangerines or oranges, maybe red onions

Try a green goddess dressing on almost any salad

I like to treat myself to the M&S ready made salads! Had a lovely one yesterday with goats cheese, roasted butternut squash, seeds and grains, and a balsamic dressing. Obviously not budget friendly for everyday, but I would need to buy a dozen individual ingredients to recreate something like that at home.

Also grew up on those salads, although I'd say they're probably healthier than most of the fancier ones you see today. I like things like pesto pasta and couscous but I know all those oily dressings probably add a ton of calories. If I wanted to eat salads daily I'd probably opt for a plain cobb salad.

That does sound delicious

Chop all the veg small, don't be afraid to add fruit, if I run out of lemon juice or posh vinegar I use stuff out the pickle jars, I'm on a peanut butter/ soy sauce dressing kick at the moment. Dollop on the plate, balance the protein of choice on the top, looks posh.

Various pickled veg from foreign shops alwaya adds something interesting. I have like 9 jars at home currently.

When losing weight be aware some dressings and toppings are quite calorific.

I was concerned with which hole I should be using to make mayo!

You need the book “Salads are more than leaves “ by Elena Silcock. It’s full of fancy but fairly simple/ easy to make salads.

Take your salad, add spinach, avocado, beetroot and a bit of mozzarella plus some fat free salad dressing.

This broccoli and red cabbage salad is my favourite.

https://abraskitchen.com/spicy-thai-broccoli-salad-with-peanut-dressing/

If you want to eat salad to lose weight then your salads will be a bit shit TBH
I love a good salad but mine come in at around 600 calories because they are delicious! Boiled new potatoes, feta cheese (if you eat cheese), seeds, olives, jalapeños, radish, baby tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, beetroot, sweet corn, artichoke, falafel, houmous etc... (not all in the same salad probably!)

If you want to eat salad to lose weight then your salads will be a bit shit TBH

You can have lovely salads under 400cal really.

I do t really fancy hole made mayo if I'm honest

I think adding nuts or seeds really helps. Bit of texture.

My OH makes me the best salad! He adds little slivers of Apple, pomegranate seeds, coriander and maybe slices of steak or duck breast. Always some dressing like olive oil, balsamic etc. He takes more time cutting stuff into tiny pieces, rather than my lazy chunks of salad if I prepare one! He just seems to put more love into it!

theres too many calories in mayo