Can a salad be a meal? For most people, salad is just a side dish. However, it is time to change that. Here are some good suggestions!
Summer time is the right time to start thinking about the ideal meal. Heavy meals are left behind, and we often wonder if there is a solution for a tasty, beautiful and light meal that can feed us.
Because, when it is warm, you eat less, and the body needs something refreshing. That is why we usually look for something different in the summer. Let your choice this year be just that – a salad.
Just because we know salad as a side dish, we can’t think that it can really satiate us. For most people, salad is something that is simple and usually does not have many possible combinations of ingredients.
When we think of salad, the first thing that comes to mind is tomatoes and cucumbers with the addition of cheese, then grated cabbage or radishes. And that is all! And salad is, in fact, much more than that!
All you need is your imagination, fresh ingredients and an initial idea, and a delicious and nutritious meal, which is above all healthy and ideal for the warm summer months, will be in front of you.
In addition to eating healthy, you will also spend minimal time preparing it.
Who else likes to spend time in the kitchen in the summer?
Why is a meal like this desirable and healthy?
It is often said that even though we eat something cooked for lunch, the very process of making this dish makes it lose its nutrients. Salad as a meal is almost not further processed. Fresh ingredients are used to make it, and one of the most common types of “processed” foods that are put into it is meat.
However, since unprocessed ingredients dominate, this meal is rich in vitamins and is therefore highly valued and sought after.
Introduction to raw foods:
No bloating and no feeling of heaviness
You know that feeling when you can’t breathe after a big lunch or dinner? With a salad meal, this will not happen to you, no matter how much you eat.
Most of its ingredients are easy to digest and do not create additional digestive problems when you finish the meal. Simply, you will be full, and you will eat something healthy and delicious.
You already have all the ingredients
Don’t think that you need some special ingredients to make this meal. This is usually the first factor in eliminating salad meals, because it also represents a kind of change in relation to the diet you have followed.
You already have most of the ingredients for a salad as a meal at home. What’s new is the way you put it all together and make something delicious and healthy.
Lunch ready in minutes? Yes, it’s possible!
There is no need to spend too much time in the kitchen. When you get back home tired from work or you have no idea what you could eat, don’t go to the bakery! Just open the fridge, combine the ingredients you find there and lunch or dinner will be ready in no time!
A salad meal is a great way to eat healthy and lose weight
When you think it’s time to do something for yourself and start taking care of what you eat, you immediately give up on the idea of losing weight. Or you have some belly fat, so you are constantly bombed with the advice on what to eat, which food shouldn’t be combined, how big the portions should be…
These are all challenges that every person who ever started following any diet, wanted to get rid of cellulite or to remove excess fat from some part of the body.
Don’t switch so abruptly from one diet to another. In gradually reducing the meals and making them from healthy foods. Salad as a meal will bring you a lot of interesting ideas and one interesting statement – a healthy ingredient’s meal is not tasteless! It just matters how you prepare it.
It’s just, whether we admit it or not, we simply do not have the habit of eating such meals. Most of us have never tried them. The change happens only when we make the first salad as a meal and realize that it is actually a great and very tasty solution.
A meal-changing salad is rich in vitamins and minerals from a variety of vegetables. The oils you use are natural and use fatty acids that can only do us good. Nuts will give them a special flavor, and we know that they are recommended in almost every diet.
There are also natural, herbal spices that will further improve the taste. With all that, there are no ingredients that are not recommended, so this meal is a great choice for any diet.
Fresh ingredients are the most important
To make a meal out of a salad, you need fresh ingredients. So, start with the simplest ones, which you can find always and everywhere.
Salad base
The one and only lettuce was once used as the basis of a salad meal. There are so many types of it today that you can use another one almost every day. In addition to the classic lettuce, iceberg or rocket are most often used for salads, and spinach is often included in this group.
There are also different combinations of green salads, which you can combine to get a different taste.
Fresh vegetables
Vegetables can play an important role in preparing a salad meal, not only because it makes it refreshing, but also because it has few calories. That is why I recommend to all those who want to look beautiful this summer to make salads like this.
And the choice of vegetables can be really varied – from grated carrots, broccoli, zucchini, avocado, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers or radishes the ideal salad can be made for any meal.
Add fruit
Although we may not be used to it, the combination of fruits in savoury salads is more and more present. If you haven’t tried adding apples or apricots to your salad before, now may be the right time to try it!
Blackberries, raspberries, currants are also a great addition to any salad. In addition to containing large amounts of vitamin C, these ingredients are great for cleansing the body of toxins that accumulate in it during the winter.
Protein for a nutritious meal salad
Slices of hard-boiled egg will give a special taste to your salad meal. If you are still a meat lover, you can add beef, chicken, tuna, shrimp or cheese to the salad.
In addition to delighting you with the taste, these ingredients will help you really decide for yourself that a salad can be a meal. However, for those who take care of their body weight and want to lose weight or are on some kind of diet, the advice is not to overdo it with these ingredients.
Nuts for a special taste
Nuts will give that special aroma to each of your salads. Here you can literally play, try different combinations and see what you like best. Until you try it yourself, we will try to help – sunflower seeds, flax or chopped almonds or walnuts are a great choice!
Besides not having many calories, because the amounts you add to salads are relatively small, nuts are a great choice for omega 3 fatty acids, and for those who want to protect their heart and blood vessels in time, they are the right source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
If you like to spice it up a little
Olives or capers will give a Mediterranean taste to every meal. If you like them, put more on them, and if you are not a fan, let them be present purely for the sake of taste.
If you like to experiment
There are also those ingredients that, if someone mentioned it to you, would probably never seem to be found in a salad. Beans or watermelon? Grapefruit or grapes? If you are adventurous enough, then these are the ingredients your salad meal cannot miss!
The topping on the salad is like the icing on the cake
When you have prepared your salad, it’s time for the grand finale – the salad dressing. The selection here is also large and varied. If you take care about calories, choose simpler and healthier ingredients.
Squeeze lemon or lime over the salad. Also, a spoonful of low-fat Greek yogurt or sour milk can be a good choice. For those who like classics, apple cider vinegar or oil will give it a rich and fresh taste.
If you still want the full taste, the addition of mustard or mayonnaise may be the right choice.
Don’t forget fresh herbs, so add chives, dill or parsley for a complete enjoyment.
Salad additions
You can eat a piece of bread with the salad. Also, if you see that you are very hungry, you can add to a salad meal some baked potatoes or start a meal with soup.
When to eat a salad meal?
Salad as a meal can be eaten for breakfast but also for lunch and dinner.
If you decide to eat it for breakfast, fruit salad is the right combination. The more fruit – the better. A little dried fruit, seeds or yogurt – and here’s a delicious and healthy breakfast!
If you still want a salty salad, boil the spinach, add chopped mushrooms and tomatoes. A boiled egg or avocado will be a great protein supplement, and you will have a quick and healthy breakfast.
If you decide to eat a salad meal for lunch or dinner, add some slightly stronger ingredients. The main ingredients for these meals are those that will provide you with protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates.
In addition to the classic ingredients, it can be rice, baked potatoes or different types of meat.
Salads as a meal – recipes
If we got you interested in making a salad for your next meal, here are some recipes that will encourage you to start, and then make your own salad combinations.
Low calorie salad
Ingredients:
- lettuce
- ¼ cups of chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cups of chopped carrots, if you prefer, you can also grate it
- ¼ cups of chopped apples
- ¼ cups of chopped grilled chicken breast
- one boiled egg
- one mozzarella cheese
- 1/8 cup walnuts
- lemon and lime juice (to taste)
Combine all the ingredients, then pour the squeezed lemon and lime juice over them. Along with the salad, you can eat one slice of toasted bread and drink water or freshly squeezed orange juice.
Cobb salad – a salad meal for everyone’s taste
Ingredients:
- one large iceberg lettuce
- 200g grilled chicken breast
- one boiled egg
- one slice of salami chopped into small pieces
- half an avocado
- a coffee cup of blue (mouldy) cheese
- a coffee cup of chopped tomato
- a little onion
- so, pepper
For topping:
- juice from the squeezed half of a lemon
- 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar
- a teaspoon of olive oil
- so, pepper
Fry the bacon until crispy. Fry the chicken breast in the same oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. For those who want a dietary variant, bacon and chicken can be grilled.
Add iceberg lettuce to a large bowl. Add chicken and bacon, chopped egg, chopped avocado, onion, tomato and cheese.
Make a topping in another bowl from lemon juice, wine vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. When combined, pour over the salad.
Salad with pears, nuts and feta cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 large lettuce
- 2 pears cut into sticks
- ¼ cups of walnuts
- ½ cups of feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1 fresh pepper
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and bake walnuts for 10-12 minutes or until you see they are sufficiently baked. Be careful not to overbake them.
Put the lettuce in a bowl. Then add pears, diced feta cheese and walnuts. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add a little red pepper. Stir.
Colorful summer salad
Ingredients:
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- ½ onion
- a few green olives
- one slice of stale bread or half a bag of croutons
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- so, pepper
Preparation:
Cut tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and put them in a bowl. Add olives and croutons. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper as desired.
A hot meal salad with spinach
Ingredients:
- 300 g of fresh spinach
- a hard-boiled egg
- ¼ onion
- one slice of chopped bacon
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
- ½ cups of fried mushrooms
For topping:
- a spoonful of wine vinegar
- a teaspoon of sugar
- a teaspoon of mustard
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- salt
Preparation:
Chop the bacon and fry it until it gets a crispy taste. Put spinach in a pot with hot water and take it out after 2 minutes and drain.
Pour the bacon into a bowl. Then add spinach, egg, onion, mushrooms and tomato. Stir.
In another bowl, make a topping from the above ingredients, to which you will add one teaspoon of oil in which the bacon was fried. Put it on a lukewarm stove and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and pour over the salad.
Serve with a slice of toast.
Paella salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- a pinch of saffron
- salt to taste
- 200 grams of chicken breast
- ½ chopped onion
- ½ chopped green pepper
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
- 1 clove of garlic
For topping:
- juice of one lime
- ¼ cups of olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Boil the rice in water to which you have added oil and salt.
Add chopped onion, red pepper, garlic, tomato, lime juice and olive oil to the bowl. Then add the previously boiled and cooled rice and grilled meat. Stir and serve warm.
