When folks find out that I’m on a plant-based diet, the first question I’m asked is:
What do you eat?
After answering that I I enjoy juiced drinks, veggie smoothies and plenty of salads; I hear:
Don’t salads get boring after a while?
My answer to that is NEVER!
If your salads are boring, then you may simply be lacking in some creative ideas to help spruce them up. Got lettuce? Great, but lettuce alone, does not a salad make. If you start really enjoying the salads you eat, who knows what will happen next. You may actually start to look forward to eating them (.. like I do)!.
Here are some easy add-ins to help get you started:
Sugar plum tomatoes are small, sweet and absolutely delicious in virtually any type of salad.
Marinated artichoke hearts add a delightful Mediterranean taste to your salad. If you add these to your salad and include some of the marinade/oil, you can bypass using dressing to cut back in calories.
Love olives? Me too. Olives are always an enjoyable addition to salad.. black or green, even kalamata.
In small amounts, radishes are great for their crunch and natural, zesty, peppery flavor. I think these taste a little strong, so when I add them; it’s normally just one, roughly chopped, at a time.
The texture and taste of these in salads is a win-win, separately or together. I buy these raw, in bulk, add them (together) to a glass jar and include 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture in virtually every salad I create.
This is where it’s easy to go a little crazy, but you don’t know until you try – right? There are so many wonderful herbs and seasonings combinations to try. I typically use black pepper and garlic powder in mine.. sometimes some dried cilantro.
My daughter likes croutons in her salads. I suggest a trying multi-grain variety. Tortilla strips can be fun and yummy too.
Everything is better with a little avocado, don’t you agree?
Don’t forget to add your favorite oil or dressing, but add this sparingly. or else it will take over the salad. I like to use a little balsamic or sometimes just a tablespoon of olive oil.
Don’t be afraid to try something new, to make the ordinary salad, an extraordinary meal! As far as lettuce goes, remember that the greener the better. Try romaine instead of iceberg and try throwing in some baby spinach. Different lettuce combinations usually play real well together. As you try different add-ins to your salad, you will surely find some favorites and salads will be boring no more!
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