How to Build a Better Salad

If salad feels boring and bland – then you’re not doing salad right. check out this post to learn how to build a better salad that is both filling and nourishing.

Eat your greens – we know we should, but why don’t you want to? Let me tell you the reason I don’t: because other food tastes better. Greens can be bitter, dry, and for lack of better words boring.

But we know we should eat them. So my mission, to help you eat your greens without feeling forced. Better yet, to enjoy them, even desire them. Yes, to desire salads. It can be done, and it’s all in how you build it. So let me teach you the secrets to building a better salad – one you want to eat again and again.

But before we get to how you build a better salad – let me give you my salad hacks that will make salads more filling and more satisfying.

Four tips to build a better salad – leaving you wanting more

Add something warm – Eating cold foods can be really satisfying – if it’s the heat of the summer. But when there’s a chill in the air having something warm on your crisp greens can help amplify the satiety. Try adding a warm protein and/or some roasted veggies.
Toss your salad with dressing – Gone are the days of dipping your fork – in are the days of tossing your salad in dressing. Tossing helps each piece of lettuce get perfectly coated in the delicious dressing. Opt for a low-sugar dressing and start with a small amount, toss and continue adding until you reach the desired flavor.
Seasonal toppings – I like to think of building a salad like you would create a wardrobe. The greens are like the black leggings, essential but plain. The flavor is in the toppings. Don’t skimp and be creative, keeping the toppings seasonal. The greens may not change, but the toppings can, keeping the flavor inline with what’s in season.
Chop your greens – If you’re new to greens and you’re not quite sure you can stomach the flavor, let alone the texture, try getting a variety of greens and chop them rather than leave them in their leafy form. Chopping and mixing a variety of greens, even cabbage, can help lessen the threat and boost the flavor. Pick three different lettuce and cabbage varieties, cut into small pieces and toss in a bowl.
Add protein + fat – any satisfying meal contains the big three, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Given the lettuce is your bowl of carbs, think about what protein and fat that you could add to your salad. Not only will this help provide satiety, keeping you full longer, but it will also provide the nourishment necessary to absorb all of the nourishment. Pick one protein and one fat {minimum} every time you build a salad.

Pick your greens

The greens are your base – your black leggings—the essential aspect of building any salad. While there are several different varieties of leafy greens, my suggestion is to mix together a variety. Sure, you can have a base of just romaine, but what if you added some chopped kale and cabbage to that romaine – it adds a new level of flare and nutrition. Pick any one leafy green or several different ones to build a base you love.

Salad base options:

Romaine
Green or Red Leaf Lettuce
Spinach
Arugula
Kale
Field Greens
Butterhead
Iceberg
Cabbage
Endive

Add more veggies

A salad doesn’t just stop with the leafy greens, but up-level it by adding in other crunchy vegetables or some roasted root vegetables for added flavor and flair. This is where the salad gets personal based on your taste preferences.

Veggie options:

Cauliflower
Broccoli
Jicama
Peppers
Cucumber
Radishes
Carrots
Green Beans
Sugar Snap Peas
Tomatoes
Beets

pick your protein

Remember, carbohydrates by themselves {even just veggies} will not satisfy or hold you over for long periods. Make sure you build a salad using at least one healthy protein option -if not two. There are plenty of options, even for vegans.

healthy protein sources:

Chicken+ Turkey, roasted, grilled or shredded
Shrimp
Salmon
Tuna
Lean Steak
Shredded Beef
Tofu
Boil Egg
Dairy {if you can handle shredded cheese} – feta, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan
Lentils
Tempeh
Chickpeas

layer with flavors

Layering flavor is where it gets fun and personal. And it has more to do with how you prep your protein and your veggies. Think:

Grilled
Roasted
Pickled
Sauteed

All four have a much different flavor profile and can add a lot of spunk to your salad. So it may not just be what you want to add but how you cook what you want to add. Like roasted vs. sauteed veggies. Or pickled vs. raw cabbage. Get creative and choose an abundance of different cooking methods.

Here are some additional ingredients to add flavor to your salads:

Nuts + Seeds {slivered almonds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pistachios}
Fresh herbs
Fruit
Grains {quinoa, barley, rice}

add the dressing

The last accessory to building a better salad that ties everything together is the dressing. Here is where the real flavor pops, so make sure you choose something you love. A few rules of thumb:

Pick a dressing with the least amount of sugar possible.
Opt for a healthier oil such as avocado or olive oil.
Skip the preservative and look for the dressing with the least number of ingredients.
Make homemade {recipes below}.

I prefer a creamy dressing to add a boost of satisfying fat, but there are plenty of options to choose from. Here are a few healthy brands to look for at your grocery store:

Primal Kitchen
Annie’s
Tessemae’s
Bolthouse Farm’s
Daiya
Organicville

leave it

There are some common salad toppings that I try to avoid. It’s not saying I always avoid because let’s be real when it fits, it fits. But generally speaking, these are the things I leave out:

Candied nuts and dried fruit – adding excess sugar without a lot of benefits.
Buttery croutons or any kind of crouton – I find healthier crunchy alternatives like nuts and seeds.
Excess dairy – that adds more inflammatory value than it’s worth.

keep it simple

Do you feel like this is too much? I had the same thought after I wrote it all out. But don’t be discouraged – it’s all in what you can throw in a bowl and toss with salad. It doesn’t have to be restaurant quality or the exact knowledge on what flavors layer together.

You’ll win some and lose some, but the more you try, the more you’ll find a pattern and a layering of flavors that work for you.

The most crucial part is you keep trying until you find a way you LOVE to eat your greens. Not just like it, but straight-up desire it!

***batch cook it

The only way I make salads I LOVE is by batch cooking my toppings to grab and layer whenever hunger strikes. The batch cooking system looks like cooking a grain, a protein, and some roasted vegetables on the weekend to enjoy all week long. You can even throw in a healthy dressing.

GET THE GUIDE HERE: My favorite SPRING salad guide with my favorite recipes {including homemade dressing}.

It’s worth every penny!

other recipes

Here are some additional recipes, including some of my favorite salads: