Salad help

[RDNinja]

I've never been much of a salad eater, and lately the salads I've been bringing to work for lunch have been wearing me down. I haven't even been finishing them, because I've gagged a couple of times toward the end.

My typical salad is:

Lettuce

Spinach

Tomatoes

Chicken

Walnuts or sunflower kernels

Apple chunks or blueberries

(No dressing; I can't stand the vinegar)

Is there something I can do to make it more palatable, or another veggie-heavy meal I can try instead? I often have to eat "in the field" without a microwave or kitchen tools, so it has to be pre-prepared and served cold.

[SugarcubeOD]

why do you have to eat salad??

 

If it's making you gag, ditch the rabbit food and eat leftovers or casserole (I eat all my leftovers including casseroles cold... I'm anti-microwave).

Or, make waldorf salad? Take the chicken, walnuts, apple, home made mayo and mix it all up and then eat it with cut up veggies?

You really don't have to eat a salad for the rest of your life if you don't want to... but you SHOULD make sure you're getting a proper fat serving and nuts/seeds should be limited so those sholdn't be an every day thing.

[jmcbn]

Have you tried making your own mayo? No salad is complete without it...   

You've also got a lot of leaves in there - and with no dressing it's no small wonder it's not appetising.

Try something more like this:

Cherry tomatoes

Diced cucumber
Sliced onion

Chopped beetroot

Chopped Apple (or a handful of blueberries)

Chopped cold boiled potato

Chicken/Pulled Pork or Mackerel/Tuna
Huge dollop of mayo

[RDNinja]

Sadly, mayo is another topping I can't stand.

I originally started doing salads because I used to eat them just fine from time to time. But I think the repetition and lack of cheese is killing me here.

What kind of leftover vegetables are still good cold?

[ShannonM816]

Go to meljoulwan.com and look at her salad recipes -- she has plenty with leafy green stuff, but she also has snap peas salad, broccoli salad, beet salad, potato salad -- all kinds of vegetables that are either raw or cooked but then eaten cold.

I mostly prefer most vegetables hot, but I've also eaten most of them cold at some point just for convenience. Green beans, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower -- any vegetables are fine to eat cold, just try them.

[ShannonM816]

Also, on the mayo thing, have you tried making your own? It's totally different than the store bought stuff, and many people who thought they didn't like mayo end up loving homemade mayo.

If you truly can't stand even homemade, diced avocado or guacamole will give that same creaminess and is a great way to add fat. It may even help make up for the lack of cheese.

[Karen_Suep]

Also, on the mayo thing, have you tried making your own? It's totally different than the store bought stuff, and many people who thought they didn't like mayo end up loving homemade mayo.

If you truly can't stand even homemade, diced avocado or guacamole will give that same creaminess and is a great way to add fat. It may even help make up for the lack of cheese.

If you like ranch type dressings, it's mayo based. Personally, I don't like ranch, but I love southwest flavors so I found a spice blend recipe that is amazing to flavor mayo. You don't have to use a vinaigrette

As for the salad, I can eat it occasionally, but I'd over do it if it's all I ate every lunch. I love leftover roasted veggies cold and then toss in some protein and fats and I'm one happy momma

[Real Food Y'all]

If it's vinegar specifically you don't like, you can make a vinaigrette with lemon juice... although it doesn't taste much different in my opinion. 

[RDNinja]

Thanks for the replies. I don't like ranch, but I was planning on trying to make some guacamole, so I can try that on a salad.

[Pea]

Maybe make a giant tray of roasted vegetables and use them as the bottom layer of your lunch? I roast brussel sprouts, beets, carrots, parnips, broccoli, cauliflower....whatever you like......just chop them into similar sized pieces, big splash of good olive oil to coat, toss, salt, pepper and whatever seasonings you like, cook an hour or so until tender and somewhat browned. Delicious hot, cold, or room temperature. Add you proteins and maybe some avocado and you are all set for lunch!

 

Pea

[laura_juggles]

Guac on a salad, especially if you've got cut tomatoes in there, will probably be super yummy. 

 

Personally, I think roasted veggies and cold grilled chicken is also delicious so maybe give that a try? 

[Karen_Suep]

Thanks for the replies. I don't like ranch, but I was planning on trying to make some guacamole, so I can try that on a salad.

I don't like ranch either but I love "southwest ranch" which is essentially mayo and taco seasoning. Find a w30 compliant blend/make your own. Or maybe find a tzatziki recipe that's compliant. It doesn't taste like mayo or ranch but still gets that fat in you

[katieblue]

I personally really like salads that use salsa or pico de gallo as dressing! Great with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms peppers, and onions (if you like them raw - I don't, but my boyfriend does! - or you can sautee them ahead of time and then toss them on and eat them cold, just gives a different taste/consistency and affords you the opportunity to cook them in some fat like ghee and seasonings like chili powder and cumin!).