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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my salads are shit?

213 replies

Acunningruse · 17/07/2023 10:11

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!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
stayathomer · 17/07/2023 14:37

Op I’d totally love your salad, I hate modern salads that mean you need a pint of water as you eat!! By the way my top ingredients in a salad are spring onions, croutons and feta cheese

NewDayNewDiary · 17/07/2023 14:37

GerbilsForever24 · 17/07/2023 14:18

@NewDayNewDiary I am a bit of a "throw it together" kind of person, I admit - drives my sister crazy. She's a great cook, but I think But I think if you start with about half/half acid (lemon juice, vinegar) and olive oil and mix that together then you can adjust to taste a bit. Then for the mustard you just add a little - like maybe half a teaspoon, pinch of salt, few mixed herbs for example. If you feel it's a bit too sharp, add a drizzle of honey.

Sorry, I know that's probably not super helpful.

Perfect. Thanks so much @GerbilsForever24

GerbilsForever24 · 17/07/2023 14:54

Also, adding some greek yoghurt makes them creamier if you want a creamy dressing - I do that often for things like chicken salad. And when DH was doing Slimming World I'd use 0% greek yoghurt, lemon juice, mustard and skip the olive oil.

GerbilsForever24 · 17/07/2023 14:55

@NewDayNewDiary Oh, and final tip from my BFF's French mother - when tasting a salad dressing, use a small piece of lettuce or similar rather than just tasting on your finger - it tastes different by itself as it does when it's on the salad!

WestEndGirls · 17/07/2023 14:59

Nigel Slater’s Thai beef salad is amazing … very different, a bit of effort but very worth it!

Welshwabbit · 17/07/2023 16:23

I love French lentil salad - you can make a big batch then keep in the fridge for a few days and use different toppings. Poached eggs and chorizo are good on top but loads of other things would go well (halloumi, salmon etc).

There are plenty of recipes out there but this is closest to the one I use.

https://cookswithoutborders.com/warm-french-lentil-salad

Warm French Lentil Salad Recipe — Cooks Without Borders

Warm French Lentil Salad

https://cookswithoutborders.com/warm-french-lentil-salad

PollyThePixie · 17/07/2023 16:51

Catspyjamas17 · 17/07/2023 13:16

Sorry, I missed the bit about lean protein first.

I had oil and seeds/nuts on my food though even when I was doing Very Fast 800 - it doesn't necessarily make the meal too calorific to lose weight, you just have to be careful with the more high fat/calorie element. And if you are eating less food, you need to be even more careful you get a nutritional balance as it's so easy not to eat enough fibre (particularly if you cut starchy carbs).

I don't particularly recommend VF 800 - it only works while you are eating so little, IME, though I think the nutritional balance in the meals in the books are quite sound. But just wanted to illustrate that nuts etc don't have to be avoided.

Show quote history

I did the fast 800 for health reasons. I liked it. And I had the nuts as well. But when someone is just cutting down and not going as low as 800 calories they have to make sure they stay in a calorie deficit and what they do eat has to cover their meals and their snacks. I think you have to be pretty mindful of what your meals consist of or you’ll never be in a deficit. On 800 you’ll lose weight even if you went over by a couple of hundred calories per day. But if you’re on say 1500 per day it doesn’t give you many calories to spend and I would put nuts or an avacado as the main part of the salad and not in addition to the protein.

Chocolatepeanutbuttercupsandicecream · 17/07/2023 17:51

@Newname211 I’ve just screenshot your recipe for peanut dressing because it looks delicious 😋!

neverwakeasleepingbaby · 17/07/2023 18:07

Have a look at ottolenghi recipes. Different and delicious!

Fairislefandango · 17/07/2023 19:18

Follow The Salad Lab on Instagram!

Hankunamatata · 17/07/2023 19:20

Love greek salad. Keeps for days - I keep olives and feta in separate tub. Always tastes amazing

mumofboys8787 · 17/07/2023 19:31

LifeInAHamsterWheel · 17/07/2023 14:30

This is a great thread! My tuppence-worth is this:

I only love a salad if there's a 'warm' element so I'll add warm chicken/falafels/ prawns/baby potatoes/couscous etc. I just find it more appetising. I also prefer the ingredients to be chopped up small and preferably so everything is uniform in size. I love different textures in the same dish. And finally, it needs to be served in a wide flat bowl, like a pasta bowl. Much easier to eat than on a plate!

Never eat salad from a plate! Always in a salad bowl

mumofboys8787 · 17/07/2023 19:31

*pasta bowl duh

GwinGwyn · 17/07/2023 19:32

Sparkletastic · 17/07/2023 10:16

Try:

Watermelon, mint and halloumi
Greek salad - feta, red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, herbs
Rocket, puy lentils and goats cheese with a honey dressing
Tuna or salmon nicoise

All of this, yummy, and also Mexican corn salad. Lots of good recipes online - check out Recipetineats.com.

Plus, and I know this is off topic, and it’s semi-naughty, but google Rhiannon Lambert’s spaghetti bolognaise, by god it’s good. Treat day meltdown.

ThisIsACoolUserName · 17/07/2023 19:45

LifeInAHamsterWheel · 17/07/2023 14:30

This is a great thread! My tuppence-worth is this:

I only love a salad if there's a 'warm' element so I'll add warm chicken/falafels/ prawns/baby potatoes/couscous etc. I just find it more appetising. I also prefer the ingredients to be chopped up small and preferably so everything is uniform in size. I love different textures in the same dish. And finally, it needs to be served in a wide flat bowl, like a pasta bowl. Much easier to eat than on a plate!

On the 'warm' theme, I only ever eat my salads at room temperature - no matter how hot the day or what the salad includes.
At work I keep it at my desk and never put it in the fridge. At home, I always know if I'm having a salad that day and I take the ingredients out of the fridge when I eat breakfast, so everything can warm up.
Please noone lecture me on bacteria - I've done this for 15 years or more. SO much more flavoursome.

Beneficialchampion2 · 17/07/2023 20:13

Some terrible advice as far as weight loss goes on this thread

Most of the suggestions include dressings made from oil/mayo/yoghurt AKA calories.

If you want to lose weight by just switching to salad you need to understand that you will only do this if the salad contains fewer calories than you would normally eat.

For this to be a reality you should dodge the dressings all together, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.

GwinGwyn · 17/07/2023 20:16

Beneficialchampion2 · 17/07/2023 20:13

Some terrible advice as far as weight loss goes on this thread

Most of the suggestions include dressings made from oil/mayo/yoghurt AKA calories.

If you want to lose weight by just switching to salad you need to understand that you will only do this if the salad contains fewer calories than you would normally eat.

For this to be a reality you should dodge the dressings all together, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.

My favourite dressing is S&P, honey, olive oil and either lime or lemon juice. Simple yet so flavoursome. Also balsamic on anything with white cheese is good.

medianewbie · 17/07/2023 21:37

Placemarking!

Andanewnameagain · 17/07/2023 23:33

When I'm on a 'diet' day (weigh myself every day) I always have salad for lunch. Chop everything small and lots of variety in terms of veg( so peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, courgette, leaves and maybe grated carrot or some pickled cabbage). Half a tin of beans for protein (am vegan( and a little, little bit of houmous as a dressing ( more protein). I always lose weight with this.

@Acunningruse

Andanewnameagain · 17/07/2023 23:34

Sorry, @Acunningruse no idea why the tag! Apologies!

EconomyClassRockstar · 17/07/2023 23:38

As much as I hate to say this, look on Tiktok. The salads on there are divine!

Iamuhtredsonofuhtred · 17/07/2023 23:40

I eat the same salad most days:
roasted butternut squash
pomegranate seeds
spinach
feta
avocado
green olives
cucumber
celery
beetroot
vinaigrette

the squash makes it really filling and the combination is tangy, fruity, crunchy and delicious!!

Hawkins0001 · 17/07/2023 23:42

A mix of

Salad cream
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Peppers
On occasion onion.

Then rinse and repeat

YourWinter · 17/07/2023 23:44

I have lettuce, half a cucumber (peeled or I get tummy ache), 4 cherry tomatoes, a sliced hard-boiled egg, 1 beetroot, 3 radishes, 3 spring onions, 3 creamy mozzarella-stuffed peppers OR 1/4 of a yellow pepper, maybe a stick of celery (definitely if I’m having houmous), maybe sugar-snap peas, borage and viola flowers (from the garden obvs), maybe a couple of baby potatoes, cubed feta or a little Parmesan, maybe prawns, or canned fish…

It takes me a good half hour to assemble my salad if I’m weighing and recording it all on MyFitnessPal!

YourWinter · 17/07/2023 23:47

Oh and I usually have jar of home made dressing on the go, may need extra oil or vinegar or mustard or honey added, otherwise Hellmans. I don’t like salad cream on salad, only on bread and butter.