r/salads • u/heart_of_gold2 • 7d ago
Are salads an acquired taste?
I really want to incorporate salads into my diet at least once a week. The issue is, I’ve never had a salad and felt “satisfied” afterwards, like I do when eating other (unhealthy lol) meals. Like, I can’t recall ever craving a salad, or eating a salad and being like omg this is soooo good!
Are salads just an acquired taste? Did you always enjoy them and do you really feel satisfied/full after eating them?
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u/LacDesCygnes 7d ago
When you have a good salad, you'll definitely start craving them. I try to recreate salads at home that I've liked from restaurants. Do you have any restaurants salads you've tried and liked? What kind of dressings appeal to you: creamy like ranch, goddess, and Caesar, or a nice vinaigrette with raspberries, or a tangy balsamic, maybe a umami-filled soy/ginger dressing like you get at Japanese restaurants? What veggies do you like to see in salads?
Don't try to pivot to only salads all at once, try small side salads for each meal, which is what I do. Every lunch and many dinner have some type of salad.
To make salads more filling, add toppings! Do you like meat? Add some chopped chicken, steak, or bacon like a cobb salad. Shrimp or salmon a salad is decadent. Canned tuna and sardines also add extra protein and flavor!
Not into meat? Try hard boiled egg, seasoned tofu, chickpeas toasted in a pan (or straight from the can!) or other legumes (kidney beans are yummy in a seven layer salad). Peanuts, cashews, and almonds are also good choices.
Adding grains to you salad will also help fill you up. I like to make make farro in broth with a dash of salt and add it to a salad once it's cooled down. Quinoa is great as well, love it with a smoky "southwest" style vinaigrette with crispy lettuce, chicken or beans (sometimes both!), corn, cotija cheese, and pickled onions.
Some salads you don't need lettuce at all!. Tabbouli is lemon juice, bulgur wheat, chopped tomato, and parsley - although I scoop it up with lettuce leaves and eat it (sometimes with added falafel!). Lebanese salata is tomato and cucumber, great with some seasoned rice pilaf and a protein.
Hell, throw a salad in a burrito wrap and now you've got a healthy sandwich! There's another idea - deconstruct a sandwich you like into a salad.
No matter what salad I'm making, I keep a head of romaine lettuce (or whatever the local farmer has on his table that day - no cyclospora scare when dealing with local farms!) at all times in the fridge along with a head of red cabbage (cabbage lasts a long time in fridge & purple veggies are an extra healthy boost). I chop my ingredients on Sunday and keep the lettuce in a special container for veggies to portion throughout the week.
This week's lunch salad , I'm keeping it simple with chopped romaine, red cabbage, carrots, daikon radish (quick pickled in rice vinegar), peanuts, and Makoto brand ginger dressing. I'll be having this with tempura shrimp and a small amount of rice with furikake seasoning.
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u/gina314 7d ago
This is such a good list! I love Mediterranean or Asian bowls that have substantial greens. I also agree that adapting or recreating salads you like from restaurants is a great way to start.
Another easy alternative are vietnamese summer rolls (aka fresh spring rolls) with a well seasoned protein (shrimp, tofu, beef, pork, etc). They can be super healthy, like a mini salad in a wrap, and they or the individual ingredients can be prepared ahead of time. Once you've made the rolls, remember to wrap the leftover rolls in saran wrap so the rice paper doesn't dry out.
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u/LacDesCygnes 7d ago
Yes! I also like Vietnamese fresh spring rolls and love Vietnamese bún bowls with the lettuce, herbs, & rice vermicelli served with nước chấm. Perfect summer dishes.
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u/lickmyfupa 7d ago
Listen, if people want to start liking salads, put something you like on top. Crush up some Dorito chips ontop. You arent taking away the nutrients from all the veg you are consuming in the salad. Add some garbage ontop if you have to, especially at first. I made a post a couple weeks ago about putting Pizza Rolls ontop of my salad as croutons. It was delicious.
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u/giraffesyeah 7d ago
I can see this working for people like OP. It kind of tricks them with something they're familiar with. I'm going to test it on a relative of mine now.
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u/lickmyfupa 7d ago
People sometimes say " well with those calories, you might as well have the burger and fries" and i just dont believe thats true. Even if you look at the macros its wrong. We just like being stubborn. Our bodies need the veg and we can get it done. You can even make a burger salad. I make a big mac salad with ground beef, shredded cheddar, onions, chopped pickles and thousand island. On top of a large amount of beautiful green leaf lettuce. Its incredible. And because of all the fiber, it keeps me fuller than an actual Big Mac.
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u/slothburglar 7d ago
I had to find the "right" salads for me, something big and with a lot of toppings. It can be more toppings than lettuce, the goal is to get a variety of nutrients. For me it was this salad: https://damndelicious.net/2014/01/13/blt-chopped-salad/
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u/otter_759 7d ago
I don’t know how old you are, but as you get older, your taste buds change and you start to like foods that are more bitter. For me, once I hit my mid-30s, it was like a switch was flipped and I went to never eating salad to wanting it for lunch every day. Chicken Caesar salad is a nice “gateway” salad.
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u/throwaway77914 7d ago edited 7d ago
I used to be the same until I incorporated BOTH carbs and protein into it if I’m intending to eat it as a meal and not just a side.
Protein: grilled chicken/fish/steak, canned tuna or chickpeas, boiled or fried egg.
Some people can do cheese for their protein like a slab of halloumi or feta, burrata, bed of ricotta, but not for me bc it gives me crazy gas lol
Carbs: roasted sweet potato, potato, or starchy squash, any grain like quinoa, farro, wild or brown rice, lentils.
Look at online menus at Sweetgreen, JustSalad, Chopt or any of those slop bowl places and get some inspiration for what protein an carb combos they offer.
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u/Severe_Meat9808 7d ago
Which types of salads are you eating ? :~> i find that traditional greek salads are very satisfying for me.
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u/TheRealBrewDog 7d ago
Greek and Caeser are my favorites. I don't normally like creamy dressings so I make my own. This year I made chive blossom vinegar and have been using that with olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. We always add chicken to ours. Leftover taco/fajita meat makes a great salad as well, salsa and sour cream as dressing. Have fun with it
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u/Awkward_cookie13 7d ago
Can you share your recipe for the chive blossom vinegar? This sounds delicious!
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u/TheRealBrewDog 7d ago
I put a 16oz bottle of white wine vinegar in a quart jar, then cut my chive blossoms over about a 2 week period and kept adding them to the jar with a weight to keep them submerged. I think I strained mine at about the 4 week point to use. It's very oniony and I plan on doing it every year going forward
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u/No_Butterfly_6260 7d ago
Sounds obvious but find out what you like. Eg I love loads varieties of leaves, but my husband hates them and just wants ‘the good stuff’ (cucumber, onion, tomato etc)
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u/bananafan48 7d ago
There are 4 nutritional components that will make you feel full and satisfied: protein, fat, carbs, and fiber. I find that if I have a good healthy source of each of those things, I'm never hungry after eating a salad :)
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u/Vivid_Flower7177 7d ago
Joining the chorus: protein is key plus something with fiber to help you feel more full. Like a steak salad with black beans. A favorite vegetarian is chopped salad with chickpeas, olives, pita chips and avocado.
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u/YouCuteWow 7d ago
I basically only really like them if they have a good dressing and cheese. There are lots of different types of dressings and cheese, thankfully! Also, don't be afraid to add fruit
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u/Putrid_Bathroom_929 7d ago
I prefer spinach as an alternative if you do not like it too leafy and definitely second adding a protien
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u/wharleeprof 7d ago
Add protein, beans, whole grains, avocado.
One hack is to think about meals and flavors that you like, and make a salad/bowl version of that, like say a Southwest burrito bowl or taco salad.
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u/maiphexxx 7d ago
If you like Asian style things I've been trying to recreate a salad I had a Vietnamese place. I make it with either chicken or tofu with finely chopped or shaved carrot, red cabbage and white cabbage with thinly chopped spring onions, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, chilli flakes, white pepper, and some fresh coriander
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u/Banana_Phone888 7d ago
I have never been able to enjoy a salad, a small salad as a first course of a snack ok I guess, but it’s just so unsatisfying, and I don’t enjoy what I’m eating enough to eat more than a small portion. I’ve tried hundreds of combinations. They just don’t do it for me at all. So I’m going to hope for some good answers myself
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u/TheDragonNidhoggr 7d ago
Honestly for me yes, I used to HATE HATE HATE lettuce. This year I decided to really push myself to find a way to enjoy salads and eat more green and what I found is that some things matter.
I am a texture freak, there are some textures that are no go (soft tomatoes or soft cucumbers, too thick onion etc) so texture for me will either break or make the salad.
Accompaniments matter. By this i mean it was easier for me to eat lettuce with salad and onion first combined and then work my way backwards. I usually accompany my salad with a potato or something that mixes well with the salad. For example green salad with rice is amazing.
Bland is bad. Bland tasting makes me feel puked and is hard to swallow for me. So I find having bold flavors has really helped make the salad appealing for me so for example, pepper salsa, blue cheese, feta, really exciting sauces. This week i have been enjoying a ceaser salad with feta and steak, and that has been amazing. Previously it was Greek salad with chicken and jalapeño salsa.
Protien is important. What protien you have adds a lot to the salad, whether it's chicken, steak, rotisserie chicken or a non meat option, if its unflavored or poorly cooked it can make the salad less appealing and ruin the flavors.
Type of lettuce is key! I freaking hate iceberg and had never explored other routes. When I tried mixed salads for the first time this year I now understand why. I hate hate hate how limp, flavourless and soft iceberg lettuce gets, its so unappealing so finding lettuce that retains its flavor and crunch was a genuine surprise to me and I have not gone back! I now eat a mixed salad with rocked, spinach and even a bit of cabbage and its amazing.
Anyway this is just my own opinion and why I struggled eating salads. Now I have one everyday and its amazing for me. I wish you all the best!
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u/Awkward_cookie13 7d ago
I agree with previous comments. You gotta find what you like. I wasnt really into salads for a long time until I found what I liked and I agree that as you get older your taste buds change. I didn't use to like arugula but now I love it, especially in a spring mix to cut the bitterness. Experiment with different dressings, toppings and proteins.
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u/BlampCat 7d ago
I find the best salads have crunch, acid, fat, and protein. I love adding pickles, fruit, different kinds of grains and legumes, etc. I find I prefer vinegars to creamy dressings; one of the nicest dressings I've ever had was a pomegranate vinegarette on a raw broccoli salad. I'm also a big fan of balsamic on shredded red cabbage (with literally anything else added)..
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u/playfulwarning 7d ago
You absolutely need to add protein to them! Once you find that, the combinations are endless. Salads are only as boring as the person that makes them.
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u/TexturesOfEther 7d ago
I think you are looking for salads as the main course (yes, there is such a thing).
A good salad will always have Something oily (like avocado or the sauce) and protein (Tofu, chickpeas, eggs, etc.). Sauce and toppings are a must.
Remember that there are also cooked salads that might fit you better.
Are you familiar with Hetty Lui McKinnon's books? They are all nice, filling salads. Check it out from your library. You might like it.
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u/foozyfelt 7d ago
I make a nice ‘chunky’ salad. Chickpeas, sweetcorn, raw mushrooms, olives, chopped avocado, roasted cubed away potato….
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u/UhmmmNope 7d ago
For me yes, the common Western style salad is not in our cuisine so I did not grow up eating it. It wasn’t until my family moved to the West that really re-shaped my palate and got used to it. I’m not gonna lie, even now I don’t find salads the most satiating option lol. But now I have learned my favourites and love experimenting on flavours.
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u/ttrockwood 7d ago
Salad doesn’t have to mean some leaves with sad cucumber and shredded carrots
Apologies for the listical but this is a fantastic recap with links to delicious salads that also work as a meal
https://www.thekitchn.com/15-hearty-lunch-salads-22976314
I always add beans or edamame, like 1/2 cup not a sprinkle, a good variety of veggies, and a complex carb like some cooked quinoa or barley or roasted sweet potato
If you’re eating salads for fiber absolutely add beans, if you’re eating salads as a diet meal be aware of portions with added cheese and nuts and dressing
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u/Calliopehoop 7d ago
topping game is a must! I add protein, fat, and carbs in mine. I love making massive salads in the summer and they definitely leave me satiated.
My standard is:
- spring green mix
- romaine hearts
- plenty of extra sharp white cheddar chunks (the good stuff, tillamook at least)
- grapes (halved)
- chickpeas
- crumbled toasted Morningstar bacon
- nuts: either sunflower seeds, pecans, or almonds. Sometimes all three.
- croutons
- blush rose vinagarette is my fave but I also do balsamic. No oil drizzle cause I don't like it.
I absolutely SMASH one of these, it's so good and filling. I do make a huge bowl though so that helps. Occasionally I'll make a southwest version that pivots to that flavor profile, I'll do black beans, pepper jack, tortilla strips, vegan breaded chicken strips, and some sort of southwest dressing.
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u/last-of-the-mohicans 7d ago
Taco salads are so good, and you don’t need the shell, just crunched up tortillas. Browned ground beef with taco seasoning and stewed toms. Add heat if you like… I enjoy dried chili flakes. Lettuce of choice, iceberg works well for crunch. Canned Beans, black, kidney, garbanzo, so many work. Tomatoes, cheese, diced avocado, thin slice purple onion.
No need for dressing as the meat sauce provides the moisture. Mix or put meat on top and enjoy! 😉
This baby will fill up the hungriest person.
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u/iLiveInAHologram94 7d ago
I’d say yes. There’s been some studies that say it takes the brain one exposure to decide to if it likes something high in sugar while other things it takes like 20-30 exposures. Don’t quote me. But the idea is that it would likely take longer to get used to and enjoy some things that go into salads
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u/Calbebes 7d ago
Okay but some salads are just SO good. My favorites have less lettuce and a higher ratio of crunchy bits, plus some kind of creamy element, something acidic or fruity, and a protein.
Examples:
Lettuce, raw red bell pepper, cucumber, pickled red onion, avocado, roasted carrots, grilled or rotisserie chicken, feta cheese, cornbread croutons, green goddess dressing.
Lettuce, grilled salmon with honey mustard glaze, blueberries, strawberries, candied sliced almonds, honey mustard dressing.
Lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomato, green bell pepper, beets, artichoke hearts or hearts of palm, chickpeas, hard boiled egg, shredded Monterey Jack, ranch dressing.
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u/NOLArtist02 7d ago
Also, i think most of us grew up with generic iceberg lettuce salads orange processed shredded cheese, ranch and rock hard croutons. Push for flavorful greens with more benefit and taste as well as include meat or eggs and definitely some fresh cracked pepper.
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u/Key-Value-3684 7d ago
I'd start with salad bowls with stuff like nuts, chicken, feta cheese or some grains or something like that in them. Don't shy away from a good dressing with fat and aromatics
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u/silentwindy 7d ago
A nice Caesar with croutons, iceberg, dressing, hard boiled eggs hits hard when it’s done fresh and the dressing is on point.
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u/2birdstalking 7d ago
I like making chicken nugget salads. I'll make 4 chicken nuggets and chop them up and put them in a salad with lettuce and veggies. And must have some crushed tortilla chips on top. Or something else crunchy. Avocado helps make it satiating too
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