Healthy Salad Variations

If like most people in the western world you are on a diet and trying to lose weight you may be experience salad fatigue.  After days and day or months and months as the case may be of watching your caloric intake by munching on celery sticks and greens, you’ll probably be bored out of your mind.  So if you feel you can’t stomach one more green salad this week, keep reading to find out a few ways to spice it up without adding too many empty calories to your day.

For some reason the word salad can inspire a host of negative reactions all of them centring around a feeling of deprivation.  But, eating salads does not have to equate to living off of rabbit food.  Salads can come in a variety of forms, not all of them green.  Adding additions to your salad or making an entirely different variety can keep you on tract with your weight loss goals without making you feel as if your starving yourself.

Adding to the standard green salad is an easy way to spice up your lunch or dinner special.  There are many ways to make even a green salad a little more exciting.  One of our favourites is to add some seasonal fruit such as strawberries or some dried fruit like cranberries for a little added sweetness.  Oven roasted seeds will also increase the taste and appeal of any salad.  Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, or any kind of your choosing will also help increase the protein content of your salad thereby keeping you full for much longer.

Adding some grated carrots and ginger to the traditional green salad also give it more flavour.  Ginger is a great way to add a little bite to your meal.  It is also well a very well known health tonic, so add it away without fear.

If you simply can’t stand to look at anything green no matter what tasty additions are added, then try out a bean salad instead.  While beans obviously have more calories than lettuce, they are still nutritious and low in fat.  Try a mixed bean salad with some peppers spruced up with a little olive oil and vinegar.  Try out different combinations and see which one give you the best bang for you buck.

Fruit salad is also always a great choice especially as the all the delicious summer fruits become available.  But if you are looking for something a little bit more substantial, try experimenting with different grains.  A great couscous salad recipe with raw onions, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro mixed with a little lemon juice will be sure to arouse a smile.  If you’re feeling more daring then you can also add some low fat feta and revel in the deliciously salty taste.

So there is really no need to go off salad completely when all it takes is a little creativity and experimentation to keep you on the road to achieving your weight loss goals.  Be adventurous and you just might find that a daily meal of salad doesn’t have to make you miserable.