When you hear about salad, the first thing that comes to mind is raw and tasteless veggies with some creamy dressing. But with the right recipes and guide, salads can be very delicious and nutrient-packed meals that give you the much-needed energy and drive while also shedding some unnecessary pounds. Salads are effective for weight loss as they can raise your metabolism and help you burn some calories.
It doesn’t take much to live healthily; healthy salads are inexpensive and more comfortable to prepare at home than to eat out. Making your salads at home gives you control over cost and ingredients. For example, you may decide to make your salads with avocado to enjoy the benefits of its healthy fat or a keto broccoli salad as a vegetarian. This post will take you through 6 terrific weight loss salads you can have on-the-go.
How to Choose the right diet-friendly Ingredients for Weight Loss Salad
Using diet-friendly ingredients is vital for enjoying the weight loss benefits of salad. Consider the following while selecting your salad recipes:
· Choose some colorful Veggies: Don’t rely solely on green colored veggies; there are vital nutrients in other colors that your body needs. Add red veggies such as tomatoes, bell peppers, etc., orange – squashes, carrots, etc., white – shallots, mushrooms, etc., purple – cabbages, eggplants, etc., and other unique colors.
· Include healthy fats: Your weight loss salads on the go can never be complete and satisfying without healthy fat. Unhealthy fats can raise your calorie intake and compound issues, so opting for healthy fat sources like seeds – chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc., nuts – almonds, pine nuts, walnut, etc., and olive oil will significantly help in weight loss.
· Include Protein: Overeating is one of the causes of weight gain, especially belly fat. Protein can help control your appetite and hunger craving, making you feel full for longer. Add protein like meat – lean steak, turkey, etc., seafood – sardines, salmon, etc., and grains – barley, brown rice, etc.
· Select a Healthy Base: Bases such as potatoes or pasta are not suitable for weight loss salads as they often contain high fats and calories. Use base like spinach, mustard greens, and chard together with crisper greens like cabbage, lettuce, etc.
· Add proper Herbs: In choosing herbs, go for fresh seasonal herbs instead of dried ones. The aroma and taste of fresh herbs can supply your salad; you cannot get it from dried herbs. You can choose from dill, basil, thyme, rosemary, etc.
· Add Healthy Dressing: Salad dressing is one crucial part because choosing the wrong dressing could increase calories consumption. It’s best to opt for dressing with some citrus fruits, olive oil, seasonings, pepper, and salt.
Salads on-the-go Recipes for Weight Loss
1. Fruit Salad
Amongst the easiest salads to make is fruit salad, and it’s well suited for breakfast because of its natural sugar content. Having fruit salad for breakfast can guarantee you the needed energy for the day and help control your sweet craving. Fruit salad is also highly rich in water and fiber.
Ingredients: diced apple (1); low-fat yogurt (2 cups); pomegranate (1); chopped strawberries (8 to 10); diced pineapple (1 cup); almond or walnut (8)
Steps:
· get a bowl, add all ingredients together, pour the low-fat yogurt and mix properly.
2. Rocket Leaf Salad with Honey
Rocket leaves are known to be rich in some phytochemicals that can fight a different kind of cancer. They are usually dark in color, and their low calories nature makes them great for weight loss. The rocket salad is a complete meal that you can always have dinner with the right ingredients.
Ingredients: rocket leaves (1 pack); button mushroom (1 pack) – sliced; cherry tomatoes (1 cup); green and black olives (1 cup); honey (10 to 12 drops); balsamic vinegar (3 to 4 tsp); pepper and salt for taste; feta cheese (optional).
Steps:
· Bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil with a pan, remove heat, include honey, and allow it to cool.
· Put rocket leaves and other ingredients on a bowl, sprinkle some pepper and salt for taste. Lastly, drop the cool honey and balsamic vinegar on it for dressing.
3. Chickpeas Salad with Avocado
Chickpeas are packed with essential nutrients that can benefit you in your weight loss journey. It’s rich in dietary fiber, protein, folate, and manganese to help maximize weight loss. Chickpeas salad is a perfect substitute for lunch and can help you cut down calories to shed some pounds.
Ingredients: boiled chickpeas (3 cups); finely chopped onion (1); peeled and chopped cucumber (1); chopped tomato (1); sliced avocado (1); lemon juice (2 tsp); coriander chutney (3 tbsp); cumin powder and black pepper for taste
Steps:
· Mix chickpeas together with all the veggies in a bowl, add the lemon juice and coriander chutney, and mix properly.
· Include avocado, cumin powder, and black pepper; add more coriander chutney, as required.
4. Watermelon Salad
Another amazing salad on the go recipe that is great for weight loss is watermelon. With its water-rich content, the watermelon salad can improve your bowel movement and keep you full. It’s so refreshing, light, and delicious that you will always call for more.
Ingredients: dices watermelon (1); lime juice (6 tbsp); feta cheese (250g); red onion (1); pitted black olives (100g); fresh parsley (1 bunch); virgin olive oil (4 tbsp); chopped fresh mint (1 bunch); black pepper for taste.
Steps:
· Slice and soak onion into lime juice, slice the cheese into bite-size chunks: mix watermelon, parsley, cheese, olives, mint, onion, and juice in a bowl. Sprinkle black pepper and olive oil and mix.
5. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
The Mediterranean quinoa salad is a protein-rich salad that can help control your hunger craving and appetite. Quinoa is a very low-calorie, high-fiber grain with the ability to change your weight loss story. You can always savor its delicious flavor any time of the day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Ingredients: cooked quinoa (2 cups); cubs of zucchini (1 cup); diced and mixed bell pepper (1 cup); garlic pods (2 to 3); chopped parsley (1 bunch); lemon juice (2 tsp); olive oil (3 tsp); pepper and salt for taste
Steps:
· Mix vegetables, pepper, salt, and 2 tsp of olive oil in a bowl, and pour the mixture into a grill pan.
· Mix lemon juice and pepper with the remaining olive oil, pepper, and salt in a separate bowl. Add quinoa and salad dressing to the grilled veggies and include parsley.
6. Greek Salad
The Greek salad is one of the easiest on-the-go recipes of all, and it’s great for weight loss. It’s highly refreshing, water-rich, fiber-rich, and very healthy if made with the right ingredients. The Greek salad is great at keeping you full on-time and longer to avoid overeating, reduce calories and shed some pounds.
Ingredients: romaine lettuce (5 cups); thinly sliced cucumber (1); sliced red onion (1); halved cherry tomatoes (1/2 cup); squeezed lemon juice (3 tbsp); crumbled goat cheese (1/4 cup); sliced kalamata olives (1/4 cup); black pepper for taste.
Steps:
· Mix tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, cucumber, and onion in a bowl.
· Sprinkle black pepper and mix properly—mix lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt in a separate bowl, for dressing.
· Lastly, drizzle dressing on it to have your delicious Greek salad.
Conclusion
You can speed up your weight loss with the above salad recipes and get the smart look you’ve always longed for. However, it’s important to remember that Rome was not built in a day; taking easy on yourself because losing weight with no rush is the best way to go.
