4 Steps to Making a Healthy Salad

salads

Eat more leafy-greens. You’ve heard the advice before. But making a salad sounds like so much work. What do you put in it besides that? And what about the dressing, some aren’t that healthy, right?

If you’re stressing out about making a healthy salad, take a deep breath. We’ve got you covered.

But first you need a main course. Check out the list of MagicKitchen.com meals all made from fresh ingredients by a team of professional chefs, and carefully planned by an experienced nutritionist.

Lots of good meals to choose from, right? Now let’s see how to make a healthy salad in four easy steps.

1. Choose your favorite leafy greens

You might think iceberg lettuce is the default for salad. It’s usually the cheapest. But it’s not as nutrient-dense as other leafy-greens. You can also make your salad base with:

Spinach
Romaine lettuce
Red-leaf lettuce
Mixed greens
Kale
Arugula

2. Add fruits and vegetables

Once you pick a leafy-green base for your salad, it’s time to add some color. And you can get creative here by adding your favorite fruits or vegetables chopped, diced, shredded, or thinly sliced.

Some popular fruits and vegetable for salads include:

Diced fruit (apples, pears, melon, avocado)
Whole fruit (grapes, orange slices, berries)

Vegetables prepped in bite-sized pieces like:

Beets
Bell pepper
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celery
Cucumber
Mushrooms
Red onion
Radishes
Red cabbage
Snap or snow peas
Tomatoes
Zucchini

3. Pick a protein source

Not every salad needs a protein source. Leafy-greens with fruit or vegetables works. But adding a little protein can dress up your salad, help you feel fuller longer, or even turn your salad into the main dish.

Some good protein sources for salad include:

Diced or shredded chicken, turkey, beef or ham..
Boiled eggs, sliced.
Seafood, including bite-sized pieces of salmon, shrimp, and tuna.
Legumes, including black beans, chickpeas, edamame, kidney beans, and navy beans.

4. Top it off

FYI...skip the creamy sauces and dressings. Most are high in calories, and it’s easy to use too much. Keep it to 2 tablespoons.

Some healthy salad dressing and topping options include:

Salad dressing made with olive oil
Yogurt-style salad dressing
Salsa
Lemon or lime juice
Nuts and seeds
Whole-grain croutons

You hungry? Eat healthier by adding a salad to your meal. It’s healthy and only takes a few minutes to make.