Wondering what the best ingredients for a healthy salad are? In this post I share a step-by-step video tutorial for how to build a healthy and flavorful salad following the Daily Dozen. Keep reading to get inspired to make your next healthy salad!
Why make healthy salads?
Here’s some great reasons to add salads to your meal prep routine:
Salads are a quick and easy recipe
- Salads can be ready in less than 10 minutes
- There can be no cooking required
- No special equipment is needed to prepare a healthy salad
Delicious and healthy salads help you get your Daily Dozen
- Salads can be loaded with fresh vegetables
- You can pack them with protein and fiber
- Salads are perfect for a healthy meal or snack
Perfect for meal for summer
- Salads are light and refreshing
- They are perfect for warm weather
- You can serve most salads chilled or at room temperature
Video Tutorial
- In this video I share step-by-step instructions for how to make a healthy salad with the six best ingredients
- It’s easy to follow along and perfect for beginners
Subscribe to the Dailey Kitchen YouTube Channel for more healthy meal prep inspiration.
What are the best ingredients for a healthy salad?
I follow the Daily Dozen dietary recommendations which makes it very easy to build a healthy salad for lunch or dinner. These include some of the healthiest foods everyday which are perfect for salads, including:
- Legumes
- Fruits
- Berries
- Leafy Greens
- Nuts
- Seeds
Here’s some of my favorite specifics foods from each Daily Dozen category for salads:
Legumes
Beans are a legume and great for adding to salads. You can add canned beans or cook your own from scratch like I do in my Instant Pot. Beans are packed with protein, fiber and iron. They also make salads hearty and delicious. Here’s my favorite beans to add to salads:
- Kidney Beans – highest in iron!
- Great Northern Beans
- Garbanzo Beans
- Black Beans
- Pinto Beans
I like to add 1-2 servings of beans to my salads to help me meet my Daily Dozen goal of 3 servings per day.
Fruits
If you want to add some sweetness to salads, fruit is a great option. It’s also recommended we enjoy 3 servings of fruit per day so salads are a great way to get some servings in. Here’s some of my favorite fruits to add to salads:
- Apples
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
Berries
It’s recommended we enjoy a 1/2 cup of berries everyday so adding them to salads is a fun way to enjoy them. Strawberries are my favorite berry to add to salads. I like to slice them thinly or quarter them.
Leafy Greens
What’s a salad without some greens? The Daily Dozen recommends we enjoy 2 cups of leafy greens everyday. My favorite leafy greens to make salads with include:
- Baby Kale
- Baby Spring Mix
- Baby Spinach
I like to use 2 cups of leafy greens so I can get a full day’s recommendation in one meal.
Nuts
It’s recommended we enjoy 1/4 cup of nuts everyday so added them to salads is a great option. My favorite nuts to add to salads include:
- Walnuts
- Almonds
Seeds
It’s recommended we enjoy 1 tablespoon of Flaxseeds everyday, however we can also get some great nutritional benefits from other seeds. Flaxseeds aren’t my favorite to add to salads, here’s my favorites:
- Hemp Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds
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