How to Make a Salad that Actually Keeps You Full
Salads may be the post child for healthy eating, and yet, I don’t know about you but often salads leave me hungry 0.2 seconds later if that’s all I eat. And I cringe thinking about how salads associated with diet culture and the cultural expectations of what women should eat. However, I also love the way the fresh veggies and fiber found in salads make me feel. With the right additions, salads can be filling. Here’s what I like to add to maximize nutrients and satiety, whether the salad is my whole meal or a side dish.
Greens base
I like to start with a base of some sort of green veggie or a combination of a few.
Think lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted cabbage, etc.
Extra veggies
Depending on what other veggies I have on hand I may add carrots, peppers, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, avocado, etc.
For some extra probiotics and tang I sometimes like to add a spoonful of sauerkraut or kimchi to my salads as well.
Protein
Adding protein is a must to make the salad “stick with you” as protein increases satiety and slows stomach emptying. This can be any protein you have on hand such as chicken, salmon, tuna, hard boiled eggs. My favorite go-to protein to add is canned sardines. So easy!
Beans
For some extra heft, fiber, and a little more protein I like adding cannellini, chickpeas, and/or black beans.
Healthy Fat
Adding in some healthy fats nuts/seeds (pumpkin, walnut, pecans), unprocessed cheese, avocado also helps increase satiety and slows stomach emptying.
You can also get your healthy fats from your salad dressing
Dressing
The easiest basic salad dressing is some combination of oil and vinegar, such as olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
If you want to get fancy, add combinations of other ingredients such as mustard, greek yogurt, lemon juice, and tahini or change up the type of oil (ex. Sesame oil with rice wine vinegar). I also enjoy using hummus as a dressing. Get creative!
