At first thought, the idea of eating a salad for lunch or dinner may seem unappealing, considering salads have a bad reputation for being boring. But there are countless healthy salad recipes that are so delicious, you'll instantly forget you're having a plate full of leafy greens. The key is knowing how to make an easy, healthy salad that is full of flavor but not empty calories.
"For salads you want to think about color, adding in a variety of veggies so that you get in that wide range of vitamins — think of the rainbow," Brigitte Zeitlin, registered dietitian and owner of BZ Nutrition, tells Woman's Day. "Then, you want to add in a protein, like chicken, salmon, tuna, shrimp, tofu, edamame, chickpeas, or beans." Finally, she suggests topping it off with two tablespoons of two different healthy fats, like avocado, nuts, cheese, or dressing.
Once you have the basic combo down, it's easy to fall into a salad rut. To avoid that, Atlanta-based registered dietitian nutritionist Marisa Moore suggests adding seasonal produce to your salad, giving you an even more diverse pool of ingredients. "You might start with salad greens, and add in citrus segments with an orange vinaigrette in the winter or apples and nuts with an apple cider vinaigrette in the fall," Moore tells Woman's Day. "Taking this approach helps boost the flavor factor while getting in those extra nutrients." Types of salad range from warm, roasted vegetables ones, to chickpeas, or even pasta salads, she adds, all of which are hearty, filling options that work well for meal prepping or daily healthy dishes. So, whatever your palate wants, your palate gets with any one of these healthy salads.
