Substantial Salads

10 ideas on how to make your salad taste good

We all know salad are good for you, we all know we gotta eat it, yet why does nobody ever bother to make it taste good?

Why do people just throw some greens on your plate and call it salad?! 

Lets stop that! Now!

Who said salads have to be boring? Healthy doesn’t have to be boring, and neither does your salad! So use your imagination and improvise. Add some ingredients that will spice things up a bit. Or a lot!

1. Avocado

Feel like having more than the standard 5-a-day? Start adding some avocado to your salad. This nutritious vegetable is tasty, goes well with anything and always makes your salad taste good. Add a generous amount!

2. Lentils

I am a huge fan of lentils, but certainly not the only one. Lentils will add some bite to your salad and help keep you fuller for longer. They also contain iron that can be hard to find, but is so essential for your body. Lentils are still carbs, so don’t go crazy! Alternatively use quinoa, buckwheat or barley.

3. Cucumber

Why not add a bit of juicy crunch to your salad? Cucumber offers a just that and tastes very refreshing – all at no extra cost. That is – zero calories. (Some even call cucumbers a negative calorie food)

4. Sun dried tomatoes 

Tomatoes are delicious in all forms and I am sure most people with think of adding fresh tomatoes to their salad, but what about sun dried tomatoes? They are just so lovely in salads as well as other dishes and bring so much flavour with them. Try it!

5. Gherkins

This one might be an acquired taste, but if you are into salty vinagary things you will definitely enjoy it in your salad.

6. Cheese

Goat cheese, mozzarella, roqefort, Philadelphia cheese or any indeed any cheese that you like is guaranteed to make your salad tasty. Just mix it in with your dressing and you have yourself a perfect salad.

This is completely fool-proof.

7. Apple

If you feel like adding some sweetness to your salad why not go with juice red apple chunks? You can also try blueberry or rhubarb or indeed anything else you like. 

Good idea right?

8. Nuts or seeds

Nuts are a great way to transform a salad into a full meal. By adding just a few nuts you probably double the total calories. With that you add some omega-6 fatty acids and other nutrients as well as a hell of a lot of extra flavour. Great way to spice things up.

9. Dressing

Dressings can be tricky, but don’t get discouraged. The simplest way would be to mix some olive oil with a dash of balsamic vinegar and some lemon juice. If you don’t mind the smell, add tiny pieces of freshly cut onion or chives. If you don’t like olive oil try macadamia, almond or sunflower oil instead. At the end of the day it is just mixing 🙂

10. Grilled veggies 

Have a few pieces of roasted sweet peppers left over from last night? Maybe some grilled aubergine or courgette? Throw it right it!

There’s a few solid salad ideas you can use. Share your own ideas with everyone in the comments below!