Think salads are always healthy? This is not always the case because many salads are made with unhealthy fried meats, high fat dressings, buttery croutons made from refined flour, and iceberg lettuce, which contains very few vitamins and minerals. However, there are healthy alternatives that are satisfying and filling to eat.
Spinach and Beans
Enjoy a salad that is made with baby spinach leaves and an assortment of beans. Mix a variety of your favorite beans together in a bowl after they have been drained and rinsed. Protein-rich beans include black beans, kidney beans and garbanzo beans. Toss the mixture of beans in a large bowel over a bed of baby spinach leaves.
Throw in a handful or two of unsweetened raisins into the salad bowl. This will increase the fiber content and add tasty flavor to the salad. Top the salad off with thinly sliced pieces of apples to add a healthy crunch. Use the type of apple that you enjoy the most. Drizzle the salad with a low calorie raspberry vinaigrette dressing or serve it on the side of the salad for dipping.
This salad will provide a significant amount of fiber from the spinach, raisins, apples and beans. Also, the assortment of fruits and vegetables will increase the vitamin and mineral content of the salad.
Green Beans with Arugula
Real Simple website suggests a healthy salad made with 4 oz.of green beans mixed with 6 cut radishes and served over a large bunch of arugula. For a healthy salad dressing option, cover the salad in a low calorie vinaigrette. This vegetable-based salad will provide a significant about of fiber.
Salad Based With Quinoa
Make a salad that is made primarily with quinoa, which is a high fiber food. The Vegetarian Times suggests mixing a cup of cooked quinoa with 1.5 cup of cooked corn kernels, 1.5 cup of grape tomatoes that have been halved, a cup of red cabbage and one cup of cucumber.
Cover this salad in a dressing made from a blended combination of one-half cup olive oil, one-fourth cup fresh lemon juice, 3 tbsp. maple syrup, and 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard. To decrease the fat content of the salad, use only lemon juice and eliminate the blended dressing. The salad will provide 3g of fiber and 4g of protein for every one cup serving plus an assortment of vitamins and minerals.
Kale and Grapes
Take a bunch of kale and cut off the stems. Throw the rinsed kale leaves into a bowl and add one cup to a cup-and-a-half of sliced grapes that are either red or green. Mix in a half cup of sliced almonds into this salad.
For a healthy dressing, mix a small amount of olive oil with fresh lemon juice. The kale and grape salad will provide a dish that is packed with vitamins, minerals and high amounts of fiber. Also, the almonds will provide essential protein and healthy unsaturated fats.
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