Salads make a healthy, light lunch option.
Whether you eat out or bring a meal from home, salads make a great lunch option. Mix and match salad ingredients to vary your options each day. Add unexpected ingredients to liven up a plain lettuce salad, or choose classic salad combinations. Make sure your salad has some protein to keep your energy level high throughout the day.
Caesar Salad
Caesar salads are a common option on restaurant menus. A classic Caesar salad consists of romaine lettuce, croutons, coddled eggs, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Add your favorite salad toppings to make alternatives to the traditional salad. Tossing tomatoes, anchovies, chicken, bacon or different varieties of lettuce into your Caesar salad adds additional flavor.
Cobb Salad
Robert Cobb created the first Cobb salad in Los Angeles during the 1930s. Restaurants commonly feature Cobb salads on their lunch menus. To make a Cobb salad, toss romaine lettuce, Boston lettuce, endive and watercress in a bowl. Arrange fresh sliced tomatoes, slices of bacon, diced roasted chicken breast and avocados on top of the greens. Garnish the salad with chopped hard-boiled eggs and diced chives. Make a dressing from red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, pepper and olive oil. Top your Cobb salad with crumbled Roquefort cheese.
Asian Salad
Asian-inspired salads make a tasty lunch meal. Make coarsely chopped lettuce or bok choy the base of your salad. Choose your favorite Asian foods to use as toppings. Carrot slivers, Asian noodles, almonds, cabbage, edamame, seaweed, green onions and sesame seeds make great additions to an Asian-inspired salad. Incorporate Asian flavors into your salad dressing by using ginger, soy sauce, grated orange peel and vinegar to dress the salad.
Southwestern Salad
If you enjoy Mexican food, choose a Southwestern-style salad for lunch. Find a Southwestern salad on a restaurant menu, or create your own at home. Use a blend of romaine lettuce, Boston lettuce or other greens to form the majority of the salad. Add green onions, sliced bell peppers, black beans, olives, corn and avocados. Sprinkle grated cheese and toasted tortilla strips over the top of your salad. For dressing, mix lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, sugar, salt, pepper and sour cream to form a smooth, tangy Southwestern dressing.
Grain Salad
If you get tired of eating lettuce salads for lunch, branch out into salads made with grains. Eating several servings of grains will give you energy for the rest of the afternoon. Choose quinoa, couscous, barley, brown rice or other grains to form the base of your lunch salad. Add mixed vegetables, chicken, lean beef, fish or beans to complete the salad.
Tags: your salad, Cobb salad, romaine lettuce, base your, Boston lettuce, Caesar salad, green onions