Salads and bowls are far from boring when you add enough to them! Salads with primarily veggies and fruits alone can be super refreshing as a tasty side dish, but they just aren’t enough for a complete meal.
Here are some ideas for things to add to a salad to make a nourishing, satisfying meal:
🫑Veggies. Often the base of a salad, it can be helpful to include a variety of veggies, beyond lettuce alone. Some ideas for fresh veggies are carrots, beets, cucumbers, radishes, peppers, and of course, leafy greens like romaine, kale, arugula, and spinach. Leftover cooked veggies, like roasted broccoli, cauliflower, squash, or zucchini can also add tons of flavor and nutrition!
✨Veggies provide plenty of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and variety here supports diversity for the microbiome!
🍠Carbohydrates. Everything from whole grains (couscous, quinoa, rice, farro, barley, etc.) to fruit (berries, watermelon, peaches, etc.) to beans (chickpeas, lentils, black beans, etc.), to starchy veggies (sweet potato, corn, butternut squash, etc.), to garlicky croutons are in this important category. I personally love a good grain-based salad, and find they keep better leftover than those with a veggie base alone!
✨Carbohydrates give us energy, and carbohydrate-rich foods bring lots of flavor, texture, and satisfaction to the table.
🫘Protein. There are so many options for this essential. Some of my personal favorites to prepare are marinated baked tofu, roasted crunchy chickpeas, and smoky tempeh “bacon.” There are also awesome quick options to sprinkle on, like canned lentils and beans, and hemp seed hearts!
✨Protein balances with carbohydrates to sustain the energy that we get from them, and keeps us fuller and satisfied for longer.
🥑Fat. No salad is truly complete without a good dressing. Olive oil vinaigrettes and creamy tahini dressings are some of my personal go-tos. Avocado, cheeses like vegan feta, and nuts and seeds are also in this group!
✨Fats make meals more satisfying, help us to absorb nutrition from vitamins in some of the other ingredients, and add creaminess to bring everything in the bowl together!
What are some of your favorite salad/bowl combinations?!
