Healthy Salad Recipes For Lunch

The Best Salad Recipes With Chicken

From baked to grilled and even shredded, theres so many ways to add chicken to your salad. The key here is to nail down how you cook the chicken and how its presented in each bowl. Heres a few favorites:

• Mandarin Chicken Salad: Shredded chicken marinated in a lemon vinaigrette is piled high with sweet mandarins, avocado, and crunchy toppings. The perfect throw-together salad.
• Southwest Chicken Salad: If earthy, bold flavors are your jam, this salad will have you salivating. Cilantro lime chicken is topped on a bed of greens, tomatoes, corn, beans, onions, and drizzled with a creamy avocado dressing.
• Greek Chicken Salad: Think Greek side salad turned into a hearty main dish. Its all the flavors you love, plus savory chicken.
• Cobb Salad: This classic American salad makes the most of simple ingredients like poached chicken, eggs, avocado, and of course, bacon.

Grilled Chopped Vegetable Salad

A great choice for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, Valeries salad is loaded with a hearty mushrooms and oh-so-delicious grilled veggies. A simple lemon-shallot vinaigrette ties everything together, getting this healthy dinner on the table in just 40 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Chopped Vegetable Salad

Perfect Fried Rice Cups

Craving some Chinese food, but don’t feel like spending the money? Before splurging on some pork fried rice and egg rolls again, why not try making some delicious fried rice at home? This fried rice cups recipe will make perfect portions of fried rice while keeping that calorie count nice and low!

Get our recipe for Perfect Fried Rice Cups.

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Salads That Make A Meal

This roundup of 32 salads that make a meal features substantial salads with staying power that you can eat for lunch or dinner.

Man do I love a big, bountiful salad. You know, the kind that sticks to your ribs and is hearty enough to make a meal of? The kind of salad with substance and staying power, so you arent hungry two hours later and find yourself in a late night pantry raid youll regret later. These salads are colorful, healthy, filling, and easy to prepare. So grab a fork and get those greens!

Elements Of A Healthy Salad

So if Wendys Southwest Avocado Salad is an example of what Im not talking about, what should you put in a delicious and satisfying, healthy salad?

Heres a simple formula for creating a healthy salad: combine raw veggies with whole grains, legumes, and a dressing or sauce. Add other elements as your creativity and preferences dictate. For example, I love a bowl that is 3/4 filled with chopped raw veggies like lettuce, microgreens, and sprouts, and that also includes avocado, quinoa, beans or lentils, and some nuts all enveloped in a fabulously yummy sauce.

You can mix and match any of the following categories of main ingredients to create stunning and satiating salad meals.

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Fresh Spring And Summer Salad Recipes

This time of year is all about bright, farmers market fresh flavors. From cherry tomatoes to light leafy greens, theres tons of in-season produce to work with. And the best part is that you dont really need to prep a lot of meat for these salads. The veggies and dressings speak for itself.

• Greek Salad: When it comes to simple, healthy salads, it doesnt get better than this classic salad tossed with my all-star greek salad dressing.
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad: Turn that last can of chickpeas sitting in your pantry into this super fresh and flavorful salad! Bonus its loaded with protein and fiber.
• Shrimp, Asparagus, and Avocado Salad: Come asparagus season, toss fresh stalks with shrimp, avocado, spinach, and a lemon vinaigrette for ultimate spring vibes.
• Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh: This veggie packed salad loaded with herbs makes for the perfect side on a Mediterranean spread.
• Taco Salad: This salad honestly works for any season. But once tacos are in full swing for outdoor parties, use some of those leftover ingredients for this hearty taco salad!

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

If you want to lose weight and drop at least 15 pounds this year, replace every restaurant salad you eat with a homemade version. Start with this one: The warm goat cheese crouton and sweet, crisp pear will make a salad believer out of anyone. It’s basically the goat cheese salad recipe to end all other salads.

Get our recipe for Warm Goat Cheese Salad.

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Source & Eat More Nutritious Food

Fourth, making healthy salads a part of your lifestyle means that youre constantly going to be on the lookout for the best looking, best tasting, most nutritious ingredients around. Just like how when youre shopping for a Ford Focus, you start noticing Ford Focuses everywhere, when youre a salad habitue, your brain automatically alerts you to fresh and yummy veggies and fruits.

This can mean buying local from organic and regenerative farmers, so the food doesnt have to travel thousands of miles to reach your plate. Or, growing your own fruits and vegetables. There are several advantages to planting a veggie garden. For one, you have total control over what you put on the soil and the plants, avoiding pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. For another, you can grow delicious varieties that you cant find in stores. And as an added bonus, gardening can be relaxing, fun, and even spiritually uplifting. Win, win, win!

Fig Prosciutto & Goat Cheese Salad

Why eat a restaurant salad if it’s going to cost you the calorie intake of more than a full-sized meal? Enter our healthy fig and prosciutto salad recipe. In this version, there are a quarter of the calories! We pair strips of salty, intense prosciutto with juicy, ripe figs. Add the tang of fresh goat cheese and the subtle, earthy crunch of toasted pine nuts and this makes for one inspired salad.

Get our recipe for Fig, Prosciutto, & Goat Cheese Salad.

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Arugula Egg And Charred Asparagus Salad

Just a hint of char on the asparagus adds fantastic complexity to this simple 5-ingredient spring salad. Look for medium stalks rather than pencil-thin onesthose would char and dry out too quickly. A soft-boiled egg adds protein and richness let the slightly runny yolks mingle with the rest of the salad before enjoying. Whole-milk Greek yogurt has a lusciousness and milder tang than lower-fat yogurt. It’s the perfect binder for the lemony dressing. Serve with a slice of multigrain bread spread with goat cheese and a dash of cracked black pepper.

Did You Make Any Of These Salad Recipes

Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of easy salad recipes at home. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

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• Total Time:5 minutes

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Delicious Cobb Salad Recipes

• Classic Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Dressing. Crispy chicken, crumbled bacon, creamy avocado, jammy eggs and sharp blue cheese all on a bed of Romaine topped with a pour of homemade buttermilk dressing. Meet the ultimate, official TMP Cobb salad recipe.

• Southwest Style Cobb Salad with Smoky Chipotle Dressing. A smoky chipotle mayo and a little time on the grill transform classic cobb salad ingredients into our new favorite summertime dinnera hearty Southwest-style Cobb salad.

• Spring Cobb Salad. Organic lettuce, peas, radishes, asparagus and everything else that spring has to offer makes this riff on Cobb salad absolutely light and delicious.

Main Healthy Salad Ingredients

Greens

As salad ingredients go, you cant go wrong with a base of greens, including leafy greens, lettuce, fresh herbs, sprouts, and microgreens. Per calorie, greens are the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, packing phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, and pretty much make every cell in your body sing Hallelujah .

Sprouts and microgreens may be hard to come by unless you pick some up at the farmers market. But the good news is, they are among some of the easiest foods to grow at home. You dont even need a garden or a sunny window. Just a jar or a small pan and potting soil , and about three minutes of attention per day.

Fruit

Fresh fruit is an awesome addition to a healthy salad recipe. Despite some bad press because of the high sugar content, fresh fruit offers a ton of nutritional benefits, including large amounts of water and fiber and a variety of antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory compounds that can improve artery function and reduce cancer risk. Check out our article, provocatively titled, Is It Possible to Eat Too Much Fruit? for more on the benefits of fruit. Spoiler alert: Participants in a 2001 study who ate 20 servings of fruit per day did better, on average, than those eating a starch-based or therapeutic low-fat diet. Ill let you follow that link for the astonishing side effects of all that fiber.

Vegetables

Whole Grains

Plant-Based Protein

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Orzo Salad Recipe Tips

• Cook the pasta a little past al dente. Whenever I make a pasta salad, I cook the pasta just past al dente, so that it stays tender after it cools.
• And let it cool before you add the veggies. If you toss the hot orzo with the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, theyll begin to wilt. Instead, drain the cooked orzo, dress it with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking, and spread it in an even layer on a large baking sheet to cool. When it reaches room temperature, proceed with the recipe.
• Make it ahead. You can make this orzo salad recipe up to a day in advance, but save the herbs to add at the last minute. If they sit in the dressing for too long, theyll wilt, so its best to toss them in right before you eat. The salad may also dry out a bit in the fridge. If you think it needs more moisture, loosen it with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Best Kale Salad Recipes

• Kale Caesar Salad. Caesar salad isnt something we eat for its health-consciousness or nutrition-density. Unless, of course, were eating this kale Caesar salad recipe, which is Whole30 compliant and full of nutrients.

• Kale Salad with Apples and Pumpkin Seed Clusters. A colorful, healthy kale salad recipe thats loaded with crisp apples, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds, then tossed with creamy apple cider vinegar dressing.

• Tropical Kale Salad. Piled high with crunchy veggies, sweet mangos, macadamia nuts and tossed with the creamiest coconut curry dressing, this kale salad recipe is a cheery rainbow of a meal.

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Creamy Salad Recipes That Are Extra Versatile

Creamy salads are my go-to when it comes to making something easy, delicious, and extremely versatile. You can eat them straight out of the bowl, toss them in a wrap, layer into a sandwich, and more! But the best part is that they can be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Now thats what I call a meal prep savior!

• Broccoli Tuna Salad: A simple way to sneak more greens into a classic tuna salad is by simply mixing it with broccoli rice. And the broccoli is so minuscule, most wont even know its there.
• Egg Salad: This classic creamy salad is a no brainer when youve got some hard boiled eggs on hand. Just chop them up and mix with mayo, dijon mustard, red onion and fresh herbs for a healthy lunch.
• Avocado Egg Salad: And if youre an avocado lover like me, mash it into your egg salad for a delicious variation loaded with healthy fats.
• Potato Salad: You can never go wrong with a giant bowl of potato salad for parties, potlucks, or family functions. Its deliciously creamy, crunchy, and nostalgic.
• Curried Egg Salad: A sprinkle of curry spice adds an exciting twist to egg salad. Plus the addition of green onions and grated carrots make it extra healthy and delicious.

Want more recipe roundups? Check out my Best Vegetarian Recipes, Best Mediterranean Recipes, and Best Dinner Ideas!

If you make any of these salad recipes, let me know how it turned out! Id love to hear what you think in the comments below.

What Ingredients Can I Use In Chopped Chicken Salad

The basic ingredients that you will always use in chopped chicken salad are the cooked chicken breast and lettuce. Get creative with the other ingredients or use whatever you have on hand. Some of my favorites are:

• Avocado: for an extra serving of healthy fats!
• Cucumber: adds a refreshing crunch.
• Red onion: I love the bite that red onions give salads but if you find them to be too strong, try soaking the onions in cold water beforehand.
• Bacon: for flavor and protein!
• Cherry tomatoes: you can also use grape tomatoes as well.
• Bell peppers: any coloured bell peppers are perfect for salads.
• Cooked sweet potato: for extra fibre and vitamins.
• Black beans: be sure to rinse them first if theyre from a can.
• Cheese : the more the merrier.
• Dried fruit like cranberries: for extra sweetness.
• Nuts: for a nice added crunch.
• Fresh herbs: adding some fresh parsley or dill will give the chopped chicken salad an extra boost. You can also try basil, cilantro, or tarragon.
• Eggs: for an extra hit of protein , you can add a hard boiled egg to the salad.

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How To Build Exciting Unboring Salads

The term salad doesnt just mean some lettuce drizzled with a dressing or vinaigrette. Instead, think of it as a meal that has multiple layers of flavor , texture , and color . Honestly, a salad is the most wonderful blank canvas to let your creativity run wild. So have fun with it. Heres a few ideas to get you started.

• Build layers of flavor. Start with a vegetable base, mix in seasonal ingredients, add filling protein, toss in some healthy fats, and drizzle a tasty dressing or sauce.
• Get creative with textures. Aim for a variety of textures with every bite it makes the salad more interesting! For example, start with a soft spinach base, then toss it with crisp bell pepper, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy nuts and seeds.
• Make your salad colorful. While green may form the base of your salad, remember that nutrient variety comes from color variety. So try to make your salad as vibrant as can be.The more color the better!

Healthy And Hearty Salad Recipes That Make A Meal

Once the new year strikes, the food blogosphere is bombarded by a slew of healthy recipes. We begin seeing words like detox and antioxidants and healthified. In the spirit of a clean slate and the new year ahead, we adamantly resolve to make over our meal plan and shed that holiday fat, dust off the old scale and optimistically vow to stop avoiding the gym .

But lets be honest, shall we? January is rough enough. It can be a struggle to hoist ourselves out of our Christmas comas, resuming daily routines and work, and also re-evaluating our diets. Its a sudden jolt back into reality once the time comes to trade in the cookies for kale, and the cocktails for lemon water.

We feel the transition should be smoother, which is why were after salads, but not salads of the goody-two-shoes variety.

Instead, think warm salads spiked with creamy cheese and roasted veggies. Salads that are hearty and nutritious, without being too upstanding on the health spectrum.

So grab a fork and get ready to get your greens on!

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Our Favorite Healthy Lunch Recipes

This is a crazy idea, but hear us out: your lunch doesn’t have to be a completely thought out meal. By that we mean you don’t need prep and prepare a composed meal like a steak sandwich or a mushroom pesto ravioli. You can also consider putting together some bento box ideas that feature a little bit of everything you want to snack on. Consider themes like:

• Mediterranean lunch box: hummus and pita with a cucumber, tomato, onion, feta salad and a side of kalamata olives
• Breakfast-style lunch box: everything bagel pretzels, hard-boiled eggs, apple slices, cheddar cheese
• Veggie lunch box: roasted chickpeas, fresh peppers, cucumbers, carrots, green goddess dressing, almonds

If you’re in the market for some healthy lunch ideas, here are dozens of our favorite recipes to make for our midday meal.

Whats In A Healthy Salad

Healthy meal-sized salads are not only packed with leafy greens, theyre also loaded with protein, healthy fats, fiber and nutrients to help you stay full unlike the sad lunch salads you typically see. These salads are much more substantial and satisfying to help keep you going when that 3 pm afternoon craving hits.

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Tips For Storing Salad

• Make ahead instructions: Almost all of these salads can be made ahead of time. My biggest suggestion is to store the ingredients separately from the dressing, and toss when ready to serve. To prep ahead of time, you can chop up all the ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• How to store: If you do have leftovers, most salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Refer to the specific recipe post for complete storing instructions.
• How to customize. Most salad recipes are versatile and completely customizable. You can add in different vegetables or add in extra protein such as grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, salmon, or tofu.