Meal Plan #2 – Salad Mixtures

Everyone has different favorite toppings and flavors for their salads.  Some ingredients don’t last long after being chopped up so you’ll need to be aware of what you should and should not add into a pre-made salad mixture and instead add them to the salad right before consumption (for example: nuts/seeds, avocado, & delicate herbs).  Stay conscious of how much you can realistically consume in a 2-3 days and prepare quantities accordingly as to not end up with waste.

I find that if I need to prepare all ingredients from their original state every time I’m making a meal, I will choose salads less often.  This meal plan is great for those trying to eat more nutrient dense, lower calorie options.  

I recommend preparing at least two meal preps at once.  Often, they will contain some of the same ingredients that are in other meals.  Preparing at the same time will save a lot of time and effort since you can separate chopped items into 2+ containers. 

If you’re someone who doesn’t have desire to cut up lettuce mixtures and you don’t own a salad spinner, then the premade salad mixes are totally fine – it’s better than no salads at all!  I recommend purchasing 3-packs of romaine and washing/chopping/drying/bagging the entire pack in one go.  The 3-packs tend to cost about the same as a small bag of prewashed mixture, and results in at least 4x more ready-to-eat salad. I believe a salad spinner is well worth the investment to keep greens fresh longer. 

This method of salad-making allows people to simply toss some greens in a bowl, scoop some of their favorite mixtures on top, and have a well-balanced meal ready to eat in a couple minutes.

When salad toppings are made with citrus juice or vinegar and contain enough flavor and spices, I find adding salad dressing unnecessary – an additional calorie/fat and cost reduction!

These mixtures are fantastic for grain/burrito bowls and as toppings on rice, potato, etc.

Some of my favorite repeating mixtures: 

1. Cucumber salad – Cucumber, tomato, onion, dill, salt & pepper, and a bit of white vinegar.
2. Tabouleh – Parsley, onion, tomato, lemon juice (lemon pepper can be a substitution for lemon juice if needed), and a bit of cooked barley or couscous if desired.
3. Chickpeas – Simply a can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, tossed with salt and pepper.
4. Beans & Veggies – Black beans, onion, tomato, pepper, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice.
5. Chickpea (tuna) salad – Chickpeas mashed, mixed with diced celery, onion, pickle, dill, lemon juice or lemon pepper, and vegan mayo.
6. Cucumber Chickpea – Cucumber, tomato, onion, parsley, chickpeas, salt & pepper, lemon juice (photo).
7. Pasta salad – further discussed in Meal Plan #4.