We all have an impression of salads being raw veggies and quite tasteless. But with proper guidance and recipes, salads can be protein-packed and fiber-shot foods that give your body the much-needed energy along with losing all the unnecessary weight. We have provided you with a list of salads recipes for weight loss that jazz up your palate with their colorful appearance.
Best Salad Ingredients For Weight Loss:
Preparing a salad recipe is not just mixing ingredients and let us get to know the much-needed salad items for weight loss. It is necessary to maintain a proper ratio of carbs, protein calories, etc., all combined to make for a healthy and fulfilling meal. An ideal bowl of best salad ingredients for weight loss:
- Dark leafy greens such as baby spinach, rocket lettuce, watercress, and arugula.
- Watery vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, cooked green beans, onions, and sprouts.
- Protein such as salmon, tofu or beans, chicken breast.
- Carbohydrates like corn, raisins, peas, and beans.
- Meager amounts of high-calorie ingredients such as low-fat cheese, candied nuts, avocado, sunflower seeds, etc.
- Dressings that are heart-healthy such as olive oil, balsamic acid, vinegar or citrus juices, etc.
How Much Salad Should Be Taken As A Meal:
When you want to eat a salad in place of a meal, the contents are all that matters. Prepare yourself a bowl of salad with one or two cups of grated vegetables with leafy greens with a light dressing adding to the taste without drowning the contents. Raw vegetables make for the twice portion size than cooked vegetables. Just like any food, you must control portion sizes and consider the calories and fat in the ingredients you put into your salads to enhance your weight loss efforts.
Best Time To Eat Salads For Weight loss:
Although people around the world eat salads differently, before, during and after the meal, to name a few. But if you are eating salads to lose weight, then consuming them right before you have your meal will be perfect. By taking salad upfront, you consume about 23% more vegetables and fruits that make you feel full, thereby cutting down on the calories during the rest of the meal, making salads for weight loss at home a perfect choice. (1)
Best Healthy Salad Recipes For Weight Loss:
One of the healthiest yet tasty ways to lose weight is with salads, and you can prepare it in a jiffy. A yummy combination of veggies, fruits, and leafy greens, with a dash of salt and dressing, can be both filling and refreshing. Here are some of the easy salad recipes for weight loss that you can try without much difficulty.
1. Fresh Tomato Salads Recipe For Weight Loss:
Ingredients:
- Mixed salad greens.
- Three large tomatoes.
- Three spoonfuls of olive oil.
- One teaspoon mustard.
- A small cup of sliced red onion.
- Fresh basil leaves.
- Two spoonfuls of roasted pine nuts.
- Two spoonfuls of balsamic vinegar.
- Sugar for taste.
- One minced garlic.
- A pinch of oregano.
- Fresh goat’s cheese.
How To Prepare:
- Take a small bowl, add vinegar, mustard, sugar, garlic, oil, and oregano and whisk the contents until the contents are adequately blended.
- Take a big bowl, and combine the salad greens with a dressing prepared in the small bowl.
- Slice tomatoes into thin slices and place them over the greens.
- Serve this salad by adding thinly sliced onions, crumbled cheese, basil, and pine nuts.
Nutrition:
One serving of this salad gives you 74 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of protein, 3 milligrams of cholesterol, and 35 milligrams of sodium.
2. Grilled Apple Salad:
Ingredients:
- Salad greens.
- Two large apples sliced as wedges.
- Minced garlic clove.
- Six spoonfuls of olive oil.
- ¼ cup of sliced coriander.
- One cup of roasted walnuts.
- ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar.
- ¼ cup of orange juice.
- Salt to taste.
- Two spoonfuls, honey.
- Half spoon chilli sauce.
- Crumbled blue cheese.
How To Prepare:
- Take a small bowl with olive oil, chopped-up fresh coriander, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, honey, minced clove, salt, and chilli sauce, mix all the ingredients thoroughly, which gives you your salad dressing.
- Take ¼ of the dressing in another cup, mix it with the apple wedges and let the apples marinate for 10 minutes.
- After ten minutes, slowly grill the apple wedges on both sides with a brush of the leftover marinade.
- Once the apples turn brown, remove them and place them in a big bowl and add the salad greens along with the rest of the dressing.
- You can top the salad with crumbled blue cheese and roasted walnuts.
Nutrition:
A single serving of this salad gives you 341 calories, 8 milligrams of cholesterol, 28 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrate, 360 milligrams of sodium, and 6 grams of protein.
3. Ginger Chicken Salad:
Ingredients:
For dressing:
- ½ cup of honey.
- Two spoonfuls of fresh minced ginger root.
- Two spoonfuls of soy sauce.
- Salt to taste.
- ½ cup ACV.
- Canola oil of 1/3 cup.
- Cayenne pepper according to taste.
- Four skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
For Salad:
- 10 cups baby spinach.
- One cup of orange juice.
- One cup of shredded cabbage.
- Two shredded carrots.
- Two cups of cooked noodles.
- Roasted and salted cashews ¾ cup.
- Two spoonfuls of roasted sesame seeds.
- Three sliced onions.
How To Prepare:
- Blend honey, fresh minced ginger root, Two spoonfuls of soy sauce, Salt, ACV, Canola oil, and Cayenne pepper to make your salad dressing.
- Take ¾ of the dressing into a shallow bowl and marinate the chicken pieces for at least three hours so that the chicken can absorb all the marinade.
- Drain the chicken and place it in a baking tray, and bake it for 6 minutes on each side. Slice the chicken into stripes once the chicken is cooked.
- With baby spinach spread on the platter, place the sliced chicken, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced onions on top. You can mix the contents with orange juice, honey, and the remaining dressing.
- Toss the contents properly for even distribution of the dressing.
Nutrition:
One half-cup serving of this salad provides you with 379 calories, 533 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 47 milligrams of cholesterol, and 23 grams of protein.
Read: Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
4. Guacamole Salads Recipe For Weight Loss:
Ingredients:
- Two peeled and cubed riped Avocados.
- Four cups of sliced salad greens.
- Two chopped-up tomatoes.
- One red onion is sliced in the shape of rings.
- Two spoonfuls ACV.
- Salt to taste.
- Pepper ¼ spoonful.
- ¼ spoonful of pepper sauce.
- Canola oil of 1/3 cup.
How To Prepare:
- Take a small bowl and whisk ACV, oil, salt, pepper sauce, and pepper creating your salad dressing.
- Add the thinly sliced tomatoes and onions in a big bowl and keep it aside.
- And, Add the salad dressing and avocados to the large bowl and mix well.
- Add the greens to the avocado mixture and mix them well so that the dressing is coated evenly.
Nutrition:
A single serving of this salad has 531 calories, 12 milligrams of cholesterol, 51 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 868 milligrams of sodium, and 9 grams of protein.
5. Fresh Fruit Salad:
Ingredients:
- One apple was chopped up in cubes and cored.
- One medium pear is chopped up in cubes and cored.
- A small bowl of grapefruit slices.
- A small bowl of mandarin orange slices.
- Two spoonfuls of lemon juice.
How To Prepare:
- Take the lemon juice into a big bow.
- Add the apple and pear cubes to the lemon juice and swirl the contents so that juice is coated evenly.
- Now add the grapefruit and orange slices and mix the contents without breaking them.
- You can refrigerate the fruit salad and take it out before serving.
Nutrition:
Four servings of this fruit salad give you 79 Kilocalories, 18.9 grams of carbohydrates, 1.1 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, and 1 gram fiber.
6. Mixed Sprouts Salads Recipe For Weight Loss:
Ingredients:
- A bowl of boiled mixed sprouts (that include moong, rajma, Kabuli chana, matki, etc.).
- ¼ cup of grated radish.
- ¼ cup of tomatoes finely chopped.
- Two spoonfuls of chopped coriander.
- ¼ cup methi leaves chopped.
- One spoonful of oil.
- Salt according to taste.
- One slit green chilli.
- A pinch of asafoetida.
How To Prepare:
- Take a bowl and combine the mixed sprouts, chopped up tomatoes, grated radish, chopped methi leaves, coriander, and salt.
- Mix them thoroughly and keep them aside.
- Heat a spoonful of oil in a pan, add the slit chilli, asafoetida and saute.
- Add the contents of the pot to the bowl of salad.
- You can remove the green chilli when you consume the mixture.
Nutrition:
A single serving of this mixed sprout salad has a total of 46 calories, out of which carbohydrates amount to 24 calories, nine calories of protein, and fat constitutes 13 calories.
7. Cucumber Salad:
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of sugar.
- One cup of mayonnaise.
- ½ spoonful of dill weed.
- Salt as needed.
- Four thinly sliced cucumbers.
- Four spoonful ACV.
- Three thinly sliced green onions.
How To Prepare:
- Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, dill, vinegar, and salt as much as you desire.
- Mix the ingredients well, forming a smooth paste.
- Now add the cucumbers and thinly sliced onions and mix till the creamy dough is covered evenly.
- This salad tastes best if you consume it chilled.
Nutrition:
Every 2/3 cup serving of this salad has 122 calories, 7 grams fat, 201 milligrams sodium, 2 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, and 2 milligrams cholesterol.
Read: Types of Healthy and Easy Salad Recipes
8. Vegetable And Fruit Salads Recipe For Weight Loss:
Ingredients:
- Two cucumbers are chopped into small cubes.
- A small bowl of sliced strawberries.
- A small bowl of sliced grapes.
- Ten basil leaves cut into strips.
- One small bell pepper, thinly sliced.
- One lemon.
- Two spoonfuls of olive oil.
- Two spoonfuls of sunflower seeds.
- Salt according to taste.
How To Prepare:
- Take a small bowl and add the fresh lime juice, olive oil, and salt.
- Mix the contents thoroughly, creating a dressing for your salad.
- Take a big bowl and add the bite-sized cucumber, bell pepper, grapes, strawberries, and basil leaves. Add the sunflower seeds on top.
- Add the dressing in the small bowl onto the veggies and fruits in the big bowl and mix them properly so that the dressing is spread out evenly.
Nutrition:
A single serving of this salad provides you with 148 kcal, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, and 296 milligrams of sodium.
9. Mushroom Salad:
Ingredients:
- 100 grams of baby spinach.
- One kilogram of sliced mushrooms.
- ½ cup of water.
- ½ cup sliced capsicum.
- Two garlic cloves.
- ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar.
- One spoonful of mustard.
- ¼ cup of cashews.
- Thinly sliced onion.
- One spoonful of dried thyme.
How To Prepare:
- Take a blender and place vinegar, cashews, mustard, water, and garlic, and blend them till you have a smooth paste.
- Heat a saucepan and add mushrooms along with some oil and sauté them till they turn soft.
- Now soften the capsicum and red onions by adding them to the pan.
- Pour the blended sauce into the pan and let it cook for 20 minutes.
- Serve this salad by adding chopped up baby spinach on top.
Nutrition:
One serving of this salad offers you 113 kcal, 8.2 grams protein, 5.86 grams carbohydrates, 4.29 grams fibre, and 5.2 grams fat.
10. Soya Chunks Salad:
Ingredients:
- 100 grams soaked soya chunks.
- A small cup of broccoli florets.
- One cup of hung curd.
- One spoonful of olive oil.
How To Prepare:
- Firstly place the soya chunks in a bowl of salted warm water for at least ten minutes.
- Gently squeeze the excess water out of the pieces and put them separately.
- Heat some oil in a pan and saute the broccoli florets and soya chunks for about two minutes.
- Put them into a bowl and let the veggies cool down.
- Now add the hung curd to the bowl and mix it with broccoli and soya chunks so that the curd is spread around evenly.
Nutrition:
Soaked soy chunks give you 156 calories, 7.5 grams of carbohydrates, 15.6 protein, 7 grams of fat, and 8.3 grams of fibre.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. What Are The Benefits Of Eating Salads?
Ans. Salads consist of fewer calories, and they are a healthy way of eating. The vegetables and fruits in a salad have water and a lot of nutrients that help fulfil the nutritional needs of your body without adding many calories.
2. What Is The Best Way To Prepare A Salad?
Ans. Salads can be a delicious addition to your diet by just adding veggies like tomatoes, carrots, and your choicest vegetables along with leafy greens. Sometimes you can prepare some unique salads with the addition of unusual ingredients like cheese, croutons, etc.
Read: Is it Safe to Eat Caesar Salad During Pregnancy
3. Which Vegetables Are Best For A Salad?
Ans. The choice of vegetables used in a salad depends on the person’s preference. Carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onions are some of the popular vegetables used by many for the preparation of salads.
A diet that includes only salad can make you lose weight very fast. But why does that diet be distasteful and cold? You can choose the type of ingredients you want to include in your salad according to your weight loss goals to see effective results.
It is high time we ate healthy as salads can flush out unwanted toxins from your body. We have provided a variety of salad recipes for weight loss that can be tasty and healthy. So eating less is not the solution; how you compensate your meal with all the necessary nutrients without extra calories is all that counts!
