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Who’s ready to meal prep?
Let’s get real: I’ve had my ups and downs with salad. These are the problems I used to run into:
- they get soggy over time
- I combine weird ingredients
- the dressing is bland
- they aren’t satisfying
I used to eat a salad and then 2 minutes later reach for a bowl of granola. PS – that’s totally fine, I still do that sometimes. But the real problem here was that I just wasn’t loving salads.
My secret: seriously, just keep it simple.
Keeping my salads simple changed everything. I began using classic ingredients that paired nicely with each other, for example:
- crunchy with crunchy
- hearty with hearty
- fruity with fruity
So, here’s my breakdown of how to meal prep and make killer salad combos:
The Fresh Salad
This is the freshest of them all. This is the salad you want when you need energy – when you thrive off of fresh, raw foods.
Rules:
- pair fresh veggies with fresh veggies, only
- some examples of fruits/veggies for this salad are: celery, shredded cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries, bell peppers, radishes, etc.
- add a protein: I love chickpeas because they pair nicely with the crunchy veg, but you could also do lentils or wild locally-caught salmon
- herbs: herbs are great here – opt for freshly chopped basil, mint, or parsley
- keep the dressing light – I chose a vinaigrette for the crunchy salad, as it never fails: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, raw honey, dijon mustard, dried oregano, black pepper, Himalayan salt
- add the greens separately: if you’re packing these salads to-go, pack the greens separately and add right before consuming – opt for lighter greens like arugula, endives and chopped spinach.
The Deconstructed Bowl Salad
Think taco salad, chickpea salad, tuna salad…you get the drill. I love these salads as a more comforting food, but something that is still fresh.
Rules:
- pick a theme: Mexican, Greek, Italian, etc. and you’re pretty much good to go
- keep a balance of clean protein, fresh veggies, heartier veggies and fun mix-ins
- Mexican Salad Bowl Example: chopped romaine and spinach, corn, lentils, black beans or pinto beans, avocado, vegan cashew cream, salsa, cucumbers with lime juice dressing
- Greek Salad Bowl Example: chopped romaine, massaged kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, fresh and dried herbs, olives, vegan feta cheese, olives, capers with olive oil and balsamic dressing
The Warm Salad
These are great salads to incorporate during the Fall/Winter months, during times when we need to feel more grounded and centred.
Rules:
- root veggies are your best friend: choose grounding, starchy vegetables as the base, such as yams, squash, and carrots
- pick a heartier dressing like miso-tahini or spicy almond butter to match the theme
- pick heartier greens: massage your greens well and chop them up finely to throw into the salad bowl – I like kale, chard and spinach
- sautee veggies like zucchini and mushrooms to add in
- the same protein options work great here – chickpeas, lentils or tempeh or even falafel balls
- add in some fermented sauerkraut or kimchi
Want some more inspo?
Try some of my favourite recipes: Healthy Garlicky Cesar Salad, Chickpea Salad or the Student Lunchbox Salad
I hope you loved these salad meal prep ideas and tricks! I’d love to hear from you, what are your favourite salad combinations, tips and tricks?
