There are so many reasons why salads should be a staple in your diet. Most of the ingredients of salads, especially the fruit and vegetables are packed with vitamins and nutrients.
Also, if your goal is to lose weight, salads should definitely be something that you should be consuming regularly. The right salad will make you feel full but without adding the calories.
If you are looking for the best tasty salads you can make at home, here are our suggestions.
Southwest Salad
If you are having Mexican night for one of your dinners, make sure to serve this Southwest Salad.
This combines grilled chicken with a salad composed of lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, corn, and black beans.
All these combined with a creamy cilantro dressing and you will have a dish that everyone will rave about!
To have the most flavorful salad, make sure to let your chicken breasts marinate for at least two days in your fridge.
Caesar Salad
A Caesar Salad is classic because it’s timeless. It is appropriate for any season or occasion and always a great side dish to any meal.
It is quite easy to make as well. You only need half an hour and you will have some great tasting salad. You will only need lettuce and some parmesan cheese for the salad.
Most of the prep work is just preparing the dressing and baking the bread for the croutons. While this recipe calls for anchovies, you can easily omit them if you are not a fan of the taste.
Considering the summer heat, you can also try the Summer Caesar Pasta Salad recipe.
German Potato Salad
The addition of bacon is what makes a German Potato Salad stand out from its classic counterpart. The crunchy bacon bits not only add texture but a lot of flavor as well.
It takes about 40 minutes to prepare this dish but that is only because you need to boil the potatoes before dicing them.
While the potatoes are cooking, you can already prepare the rest of the ingredients like the bacon and the dressing.
The dressing for this salad is different from the classic potato salad as it does not make use of mayonnaise.
Instead, you have the combination of vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, sugar, and pickle juice for that perfect tangy dressing that goes so well with the potatoes.
Do’s and Dont’s of Making Salad
While salads are quite easy to make, there are times when we can’t get it right. If you want your salad to always taste great, here are some tips you can follow.
Do choose the darker variety of greens
This is for those who really want to eat healthily. Most green ingredients in salads are healthy, but the darker the leaves the more nutrients they actually have. They have not only fiber but are also a good source of antioxidants.
Some of the dark leafy vegetables that you can add to your salad include spinach, kale, leaf lettuce, and arugula. If you are not very fond of the taste, just combine with other ingredients like fruit and honey to mask the taste.
Don’t drown your salad with too much dressing
Dressings are supposed to add flavor to the salads. They are not the main ingredients, so it is very important that you add just enough and not drown your ingredients in the dressing.
You want to be able to still taste the natural flavor of the fruits, vegetables, meat, and many more in your salad. Your leafy greens will also become too soggy, which is not a pleasant texture in any salad.
And last but not the least, adding too much dressing will add to the calorie content of your salad, so it would be waste for those who are watching what they eat.
Do add carbs and fat
Only add carbs when you feel like you are not getting full with your meal. Make sure to add carbs that are healthy, such as potatoes.
Also, do not be afraid to use fat! They add flavor in an otherwise bland salad. Fats do not have to be the unhealthy kind. There are many types of healthy fats that would be a great addition to your meal.
Eggs are one, they not only give flavor but they are also a good source of protein. Avocado and olive oil are also examples of healthy fats that would elevate your salad to another level of flavor.
Don’t rely on store-bought dressings
Store-bought dressings may be convenient, but they are not necessarily healthy. There are simple recipes that you can do so that you don’t have to rely on premade ones.
As a tip, you can make large amounts of a base dressing, then keep the rest refrigerated. You can add some other ingredients like herbs and other seasonings so that you can have variety in your dressings.
Conclusion
There are more salads that you can try aside from the ones listed above. Now that summer is almost here, be sure to make different kinds that you and your whole family can enjoy.