We all want to eat healthier... we all want to eat more veggies... but most of us fail miserably. I believe the problem is that most people just don't have enough good salad ideas!
As a Registered Dietitian I want to give you the tools and ideas you need to bridge the gap between "I WANT TO DO IT" and "I'M DOING IT!"
It's not enough to just want to eat more salads... you have to actually do it!
So here are some practical salad ideas that will actually get you eating more veggie salads!
salad idea #1: DIY salad dressing
Salad dressing from the store sucks. If you don't LOVE your salad, you're probably not going to be motivated to make and eat it!
I used to assume dressings were hard to make, so I didn't try. They aren't! All you have to do is throw together a few ingredients and BOOM, a beautiful, delicious, fresh salad dressing is born.
When I started making my own salad dressings, I fell head over heels in LOVE with salads. I started to actually look forward to my lunch instead of just grudgingly choking down a minimal amount of salad.
Check out these 10 salad dressings that will make you love your salads. Any kitchen newbie can make them!
salad idea #2: prep ahead
You've heard it before: failing to plan is planning to fail! But it's very true. Taking a few minutes each week for prep for your salad ideas increases your odds of eating them by 450%.
Prepping ahead can take different forms. You can make a bunch of individual mason jar salads, then store them in the fridge to grab on the go.
Or you could prep the different salad components and keep those in the fridge to throw a salad together at a moment's notice!
- make dressing ahead
- make salad mix ahead
- prep your proteins (hard boil eggs, cook several chicken breasts, etc)
- prep salads in a jar
I will say it's probably not "prepping" enough to just buy the veggies. It's a good first step, but if you don't go and do something with the veggies, they could likely just sit in the crisper until they go bad....
salad idea #3: make your salad meal-worthy
Instead of throwing some veggies together and plopping on some dressing, make the salad the star of the meal! Use this as a template: greens + protein + veggies/fruit + crunch + dressing. For even more filling power, add a fibre such as quinoa or brown rice!
salad idea #4: start your meal off with a salad course
Yes, I just suggested that you make the salad the star of your meal. But you probably aren't going to eat a salad as a meal for breakfast, lunch, and supper, right? You're not going to give up stir fries and lasagna, are you? Another way to eat more veggies is to get in the habit of starting your meal off with a salad. This salad doesn't need to be so involved. This is where it's great to have a salad mix in the fridge that you can top with extra veggies and a salad dressing. BOOM! Salad done. This is also one of my tips for learning how to quit overeating . By starting off with a veggie course before your main course, you fill up on the veggies and top up your hunger with the rest of the food.
Which one of these tips do you think would have YOU eating more salads?