If you follow me on InstaStories (or social media in general) you know I LOVE a good salad. I make a salad almost every single day to bring to work for lunch. Over the years, I have stepped up my salad skills (especially since my 5-day detox) and now I can HONESTLY say that I look forward to my amazing, healthy lunch. Friends and co-workers are always asking me what I put in my salads and commenting about how good my lunch looks each day.
A salad is a simple way to get a ton of healthy nutrients in one meal… if you make it properly. There are plenty of salads out there that aren’t good for you. You may think tons of cheese and creamy dressings are a must for a tasty salad, but trust me, you don’t need that stuff! Here’s my formula for a perfect salad: Greens, protein, healthy fats, veggies, and prebiotics.
Greens: I have three go-to’s when it comes to my salad base. It is usually baby spinach, but I found a baby kale blend that I really like and sometimes you just need a good romaine salad.
- Baby Spinach
- Baby Kale Mix
- Romaine
Protein: You need protein in your salad to help keep you full! I’m pescetarian, so I use meat substitutes, which you could obviously sub about for the real deal!
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Quorn Chicken Patty (chopped up)
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Shrimp
Healthy Fats: These help to keep you full and are also really good for your skin & hair!
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Hemp Seeds (these are amazing and also have a good amount of protein!)
- Olive oil
Veggies: You can’t have a super salad unless it is packed with veggies.. here are a few of my favorites!
- Tomatoes
- Red or Orange Peppers
- Banana Peppers
- Pickled Red Onions
- Baked Portabello Mushrooms (I need to post the recipe for this.. it is SO amazing)
- English Cucumbers
Prebiotics: I wrote about the importance of pro and prebiotics on my sister blog, Strong Girl Collective. Getting probiotics is easy for me, but prebiotics are a little tougher. Including prebiotic rich foods in my salads seems to be the easiest way to get my share.
- Jicama (Trader Joe’s sells this in the salad section already cut up)
- Dandelion greens
When it comes to my dressing, I am very simple. A drizzle of olive oil, some red wine vinegar and garlic powder. When I was fresh off my detox, I did use balsamic instead of red wine vinegar just to help me get away from the sweeter dressings I was used to. Now I don’t miss conventional dressings at all, especially since I pack my salad with so many tasty ingredients that are really good enough on their own!
I usually pack my salad in the morning, since I like it to be super fresh. Not only do I like having control of all the ingredients, but packing your own salad can save you a TON of money! The salad I make each day would easily cost me 12 bucks to buy. Even on the days I don’t bring salad, I still pack my lunch every single day for work. It saves me money and helps me stick to my healthy eating goals.
The only downside of this was all the tupperware I was washing every night! I recently found Reynolds™ Disposable Heat & Eat containers and they are a life-saver if you pack your lunch daily. The 32 ounce size easily fits my gigantic salads. I also pack leftovers in them since you can reheat them right in the microwave without any worries since the bottom half is made of plant fibers. (a great alternative to plastic, which I never put in the microwave) When you are done, just toss them out!
I got mine at Wal-Mart in the food storage aisle. Right now, you can grab double coupons on these, since they are on the Reynolds™ site and also on Coupons.com! What is your favorite type of salad or go-to work lunch that you bring from home?
These are some great tips. I’ve been eating salads for lunch recently but I’ve gotten hungry mid-afternoon. I think I need to add some more protein!
These are great tips. I tend not to gravitate toward salad when I feel like I need “real food.”
I am obsessed with avocados lately and the ones in your picture look so tasty!!!
Lovely post Lauren . I had no idea about pre biotics. Thanks for sharing 🙂 And Reynolds heat and eat containers are seriously a life saver. I am stocking them up . Thanks for sharing the coupon 🙂
Love packing different salads and being able to reheat is a plus.
Thanks for sharing about Reynolds containers, i had no clue they exist!
I pretty much follow the same salad rule for lunch, but I add some grains to my salad- there are always leftovers from dinner, like rice, buckwheat, couscous , pasta, or potatoes.
We usually cook a pot of grains (see above), a pot of beans (lentils, chickpea, or beans), and some protein (turkey burgers, grilled chicken, beef, etc) over the weekend, and then i can put together a quick dinner during the week, just adding a veggie sauce with Indian/Thai/Mexican spices. This lasts approximately till Wednesday. So on Thursday I have to be creative and put together something like wraps or sandwiches for lunch & maybe a quick omelet, or roasted veggies for dinner. I also make my own snacks & healthy desserts, and i am currently experimenting with the gluten free cookies & pies 🙂 yam-yam 🙂
And we always have a home-made pizza on Friday – it is so much fun to create it together, and finish all the veggies before the next grocery trip on early Sat. morning 🙂 I love the idea about those containers, thanks again for sharing 🙂
such a great idea! I will have to try this!
Great tips!!!! Nothing better than a yummy salad that actually fills you!
I love this! I always wanted to get into salad for lunch but when I tried Id just get hungry. These are awesome tips, will be trying out.
That salad looks yummy! Thanks so much for the super ideas. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with food and it’s also tempting to rely on on ready-made sandwiches for lunch when you are super busy. But when you realise you are busy every day you realise how unhealthily you are actually eating. I’m going to try to pack my own lunches more.
I really do enjoy a nice delicious hearty salad for lunch, so this recipe is right up my alley! xx Adaleta Avdic
Great tips! I love taking salads that are filling and will last me till dinnertime.
I didn’t know about prebiotics until I read it here. More good things to add to my salad. Thank you so much for the recipe! I’ll give your salad a try. It looks filling and delicious!
I read a book all about gut health and it taught me all about the importance of pre and probiotics!
Love these tips and I love your lists. I’ll be making a wide mix of salads using the ingredients you recommend. I eat salads everyday, but they always contain the same things. x
Yeah I have to switch it up or else I get really sick of them! ha!
Thanks for sharing these tips! I usually get very hungry after a few hours just eating salad. We can mix these ingredients day by day so that we won’t get bored with eating the same salad. I’ll try to make some at home. What you have given looks delicious and nutritious!
GREAT ideas! I tend to just make the same old salad all the time, and it gets old fast. I’m definitely going to try these tips, and I love those containers too. Thanks for sharing!
Yes if I am going to eat a salad every day I have to make sure it is GOOD or else I wont stick with it! 🙂
Looks awesome! I really need to start eating more salads!
Great tips. I’m really impressed by those salads that you’ve made. Thank you for the detailed instruction. I really like your post.
Great tips. We are big salad eaters in our house. I should pack up salads for Sammie’s lunches more often. But, she doesn’t like that there isn’t’ anywhere to keep her food cold. She just healthy snacks at school and eats a late lunch at home. But, maybe since we are heading into cooler weather it might work.
I am lucky we have some fridges at work so I can keep mine nice and cold! A lukewarm salad would NOT fly in my book!
I am totally in love with salad. I have salad in almost every meal. However, my problem is cannot keep salad fresh till lunch at work. Thanks for your tips.
I’ve recently become a fan of……….sardines in my salad!
My fave is arugula, red onion, mandarins, sunflower seeds and sardines mixed in my homemade vinaigrette.