Good low fat salad combinations?!
Answers: I have resolved to incorporate more raw vegetables into my life, and I think I shall start making more salads. I don't like lettuce, well... it makes me sick, so I use spinach which is better for you anyways. what kind of meat and vegetable combinations do you guys like? I am not vegan so I will be throwing ham, turkey, shrimp, cheese, eggs and all that into it.maybe not all together, but you know...
SPINACH SALAD WITH HAM AND GARLIC
DRESSING
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. plain low fat yogurt
1/4 c. low fat sour cream
2 tbsp. skim milk
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. finely chopped chives
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 sm. clove garlic, minced
6 (1 oz.) slices white bread
1 lg. clove garlic, halved
Vegetable cooking spray
1/4 c. sliced shallot
One small clove garlic, minced, 7 ounces thinly sliced lower salt deli ham, cut into 1/4" thick wedges. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Bread slices in single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Lightly rub garlic on both sides of bread. Trim bread crust and discard. Cut bread slice into 4 triangles. Coat a large non stick skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium heat until hot. Add shallot, 1 clove minced garlic, saute 3 minutes. Add ham, saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes in large bowl. Add ham mixture, tossing gently. Serve salad with dressing and croutons. Yield: 6 servings. 2 cups salad and 2 tablespoons dressing and 4 croutons.
LOW FAT FRUIT SALAD WITH POPPY SEED
DRESSING
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple tidbits (juice pack)
1 1/2 c. sm. strawberries or seedless red grapes
1 med. apple, cored and cut into bite size pieces
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can Mandarin orange sections (water pack, drained)
1/2 c. pineapple low-fat yogurt
1/2 tsp. poppy seed
Lettuce leaves
Drain pineapple, reserving 1 tablespoon of the juice. If using strawberries, cut them in halves. For the fruit mixture, in a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, strawberries or grapes, apple and orange sections. Toss lightly to mix.
For dressing, combine yogurt, poppy seed, and the reserved pineapple juice. To serve, line salad plates with the lettuce leaves. Arrange fruit mixture on lettuce. Drizzle dressing over fruit.
Makes 5 or 6 servings.
Hi, I hate lettuce too, its nasty I hate the crunch iceberg makes me puke, I have become very fond of fresh spinach though, I just mix it up with different flavors of croutons, different types of meat, and boiled egg whites, my personal favorite is I grill up like 4 or 5 chicken breasts or you can roast them in the oven, slice them to bite size pieces and either add some sauce to them before putting them into your salad or just throw them right into your salad, not all 5 chicken breasts of course! this is usually for a weeks worth of salads so that you dont have to cook the chicken everyday...and is usually a little more filling then turkey or ham in my opinion plus the lean protein from grilled chicken is great.
as of late my personal favorite is:
fresh spinach
grilled chicken pieces
about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
and about a tablespoon of caesar dressing
I toss all of that together and its pretty good (this is for 1 bowl of salad)
you can always throw some cherry tomatos(for sweeter) or tomato grapes(more like a normal tomato taste just smaller) in there too, very good for you and arent nearly as nasty tasting as the normal big tomatos and there bite sized which helps
Chicken, Fruit, and Spinach Salad
6 oz fresh spinach
2 oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups grilled chicken, cubed
2 cups fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced
Dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/3 teaspoon poppy seeds
--Mix dressing ingredients and refrigerate. Build salad and serve with dressing.
Spinach, Pear, and Bleu Cheese Salad
3 cups fresh spinach
3 medium yellow pears, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons crumbled bleu cheese
Dressing
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons orange juice
salt
1 clove crushed garlic
--Mix dressing ingredients and refrigerate. Build salad and serve with dressing. Top salad with warm toasted walnuts when serving if desired.
Warm Spinach Salad
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 (10 ounce) package spinach
4 thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 thinly sliced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Mandarin orange sections
Dressing
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
--Mix dressing ingredients and set aside. Brown the almonds in a non-stick pan for 30 seconds and set aside. Place spinach on serving plates or on a platter and top with mandarin orange segments. Put olive oil in pan and heat; saute red onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add dressing and almonds to the onion and garlic. Top spinach and oranges with warm dressing and serve immediately.
Spinach and Chickpea Salad
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach (or fresh spinach sauted to wilt)
1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup summer squash, diced
1/2 cup cucumbers, diced
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1/2 lemon
salt & pepper
--Cook the spinach according to the directions on the package. Chop the cooked spinach if not packaged as chopped and drain well. Mix the spinach, chickpeas, bell pepper, squash, cucumber, & chives in a bowl. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon (you may add more lemon juice or olive oil if desired). Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Enjoy!