How can I make a salad more filling?

[BertieBotts]

I like salad but it doesn't really fill me up much.

I can't eat cheese in any form so that's out. I've tried adding things like chicken, tuna, ham and sometimes boiled eggs which are nice but it's still not really hitting the spot.

Seeds maybe? Bread on the side? Just eat more of it?

i love things like pumpkin seeds on mine, but any seeds are good, as are nuts.
also try some beans? tinned chickpeas or cannellini beans or similar

Chips

In Summer I have salad for my evening meal but do like to jazz it up a bit. A grilled, sliced chicken breast and a sliced hard boiled egg with some mayo dressing does me very nicely.
And I am a certified salad dodger!

Cabbage and carrot grated with a dressing is filling, but the carbs police will probably be telling me how unhealthy I am.

Add pasta or noodles to it?

I make a Lebanese salad which has little torn pieces of pitta bread in it - that would do the trick. You could buy wholemeal if you are being healthy!

Aren't tinned beans a bit plain and boring though? Would you dress them with anything?

Chips sound good but oven chips are a pain and we don't have a fryer.

A carb is what's needed.

Crusty bread and butter, chips.

I'm not on a health kick. I just like salad and sometimes it's nice to have a cold lunch/dinner. I'm not interested in the carb police - tried a low carb, high protein diet and contrary to their insistence it didn't fill me up as much as, let alone more than usual so didn't bother to carry on.

Roasted root vegetables (potato, carrot, squash) work really well in salad. Also roasted seeds and nuts. Feta cheese. Alsorts if yummy stuff. Also vary the dressings to make the flavours more interesting.

Beans such as kidney beans, butter beans and chickpeas are great for adding healthy filling bulk to salads, as are falafels, hummus and olives. I like grated carrot and red pepper strips in mine too. Or you could add a bit of cooked pasta or cous cous.

Avocado (sliced), grapes, beetroot, granary bread.

Oh ... chips are so good with salad

Plenty of chicken
Wholemeal pitta

Add loads of stuff - sweet corn, green beans, boiled egg, slices of roast sweet potato or butternut squash, grated carrot, pumpkin seeds, olives, pomegranate seeds......I'm getting carried away. Basically what I'm saying is, for me, variety fills me up as the different flavours and textures satisfy my hunger.

Microwave chips (actually bought some. They are not too bad)

Two of my favourite salads - if you like things a bit spicy : )

Spicy Prawn Salad - lovely with foccacia or garlic bread

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/spicy-prawn-salad.html

Salsa Salad - lovely with salmon or tuna steaks or chicken and tortilla wraps
tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/salsa-salad.html

Olives, beans, chickpeas, couscous/pasta/rice feta/mozzarella add balsamic vinegar mayo dressing

quinoa or couscous ?

I like doing a layered salad in my lunch box....today I had a little cous cous as bottom layer, then shredded red cabbage and grated carrot on the next layer with a lemon and tahini dressing over, some pumpkin seeds next, then bits of red pepper and tomato then top layer of salad leaves. Works great like that as the salad leaves don't get soggy as they're on the top.

Thanks for the recipes!

I love cous cous. Will have to try that out.

I love big hearty salads. To make them filling you need lots of protein, though not necessarily lots of carbs. Try lentils with hot smoked salmon and spinach leaves. Or a Niçoise style salad with tuna, green beans and anchovy. Or a lyonnaise salad which has frisée lettuce, bacon lardons and a poached egg on top. With crusty bread they are all pretty filling.

I add brown rice to my salads. Not a lot but it's enough to make it filling. I cook it as normal then as soon as it's cooked rinse it thoroughly in cold water which cools it down. It also means you can store in the fridge for a few days to add to other stuff. Delish.

Baby new potatoes

oh yes, def not just plain beans by themself. just add to whatever else you normally have and then some yummy dressing

I just had a salad for dinner. It was

Goats cheese
Beetroot
Avocado
Walnuts
Grated carrot
Cold leftover asparagus
Spinach
Watercress
Cucumber
Spring onions
Olive oil and raspberry vinegarette