It can be hard to eat a salad if you feel like you are gagging down plain, flavorless lettuce. Instead of suffering through your meal, consider adding a few tasty salad toppings to boost the flavor – and health benefits at the same time.
Choosing Healthy Toppings
The challenging aspect of choosing salad toppings is that some of these ingredients add unhealthy fats and too many calories. For example, if you compare the nutrient info for a fast-food salad with a hamburger, you might be surprised to see that the calories and fat grams are higher with the salad!
The key to healthy eating is to skip processed ingredients and stick with whole foods solutions when preparing the salad. Nuts, seeds, fruit, and chopped veggies can add color and flavor without loading on the calories.
Topping Ideas for Salads
Here are a few ideas to make your salads delicious and healthy:
- Raw Vegetables: Chop up your favorite veggies of choice. Common options include carrots, cucumbers, onions, broccoli, celery, and mushrooms. For a different flavor, try roasting the veggies before putting them on a salad.
- Nuts and Seeds: Try adding various nuts and seeds to boost the protein in your meal: chia seeds, pepitas, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and almonds.
- Legumes: Another option to increase protein is to add beans and legumes. For example, you can make it a taco salad with black beans or go with a Mediterranean style using hummus or chickpeas.
- Fruit: A little bit of sweetness can add a new dynamic to the flavor of your salad. Popular fruit salad toppings include raisins, cranberries, mango, or apricots. Fresh fruit can also be yummy, such as strawberries, oranges, or blueberries.
- Protein: Chicken, beef, hard-boiled eggs, and other meat sources are all a great way to make your salad more filling and satisfying.
Pre-Mixed Salad Toppings
Instead of buying all of the individual toppings you want to add to your salad, try our pre-mixed toppings. At Nature’s Garden, we offer options to add flavor to your salads, including our Omega Sweet Salad Topper, Keto Sweet Salad Topper, and Keto Savory Salad Topper.