7 Days of Fat Loss: 5 Ways to Spice Up Your Salads

By Jennifer Pittman

The countdown to Bikini Boot Camp continues… only 5 days left!

There it is. Your daily lunchtime salad consisting of the “same-old-same-old”…probably something along the lines of salad greens, tomato and cucumber. BORING! While salads are a super important part of living a fat-loss lifestyle, it doesn’t mean that they have to be hum-drum to eat. You’ve got to get creative with those greens!

Break out of your “salad rut!”

While creativity probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you’re packing up your salad for the day,  the fact that salad greens are a nutrient-dense powerhouse should make you feel proud of yourself for feeding them to your body.  Salad greens, like many other high-fiber/low-fat vegetables, are high in vitamin and mineral content, low in calories and are a perfect super food for living a fat-loss lifestyle.  Think more greens…more muscle!

Since salad is something you need to be eating on a daily basis, here are 5 ideas for you to use the next time you find yourself stuck in a “salad rut”…

5 ways to spice up your salads:

  1.  Make a Fresh Salsa – Salsa is super versatile and can be made out of practically any combination of fruits and veggies. You could try a fresh Caprese salsa as your salad topping; just mix roma tomatoes, fresh chopped basil, a few balls of fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil. Or you could do a little south of the border flair; mix cucumber, roma tomato, mango, pineapple and cilantro. The options are limitless here!
  2. Spice Some Nuts – For an extra protein punch in your salad, try roasting your favorite combo of nuts with a variety of spices. Try almonds roasted with curry or walnuts roasted with cinnamon and stevia. If you like it hot & spicy, try macadamia nuts roasted with cayenne pepper and garlic.
  3. Make A Dressing – The majority of store bought dressings are made with a multitude of unnecessary fats and oils that are not fat-loss friendly. Instead, try making your own dressing. One of my favorites is a creamy avocado “ranch” style dressing. Just mix plain Greek yogurt, an avocado, garlic salt, pepper, lime juice and a pinch of cayenne; mix with a little water until you get the consistency of dressing. This is a super fat-loss friendly way to dress your salad without all of the additives. Plus, you’ll get extra protein from the Greek yogurt and healthy fats from the avocado…a win-win!
  4. BBQ – The grill is a great way to get added flavor without added calories. The possibilities of seasonings and flavor combos are limitless on the BBQ! Try grilling your chicken, fish or beef before adding it to your salad, and you’ve got a savory and flavorful protein source to top those salad greens with!
  5. Tuna is a Girl’s Best Friend – Canned tuna should be a go-to when looking for a fast and easy protein source to add to your fat-loss pantry. Tuna salad is a yummy topping addition to your salads too. One great way to make a flavorful tuna salad is to mix your tuna with Dijon mustard, diced dill pickle, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Also, when topping salad with homemade tuna salad, you often will not need dressing; adding to your fat-loss potential! Just be careful to make your tuna salad with healthy fats.

These are just a few of the ways you can spice up your salads using fat-loss friendly methods and foods.  We would love to know some of your favorite methods for spicing up your boring salad greens. Comment below and let us know! Happy salads!

Related:  7 Days of Fat Loss: 7 Fat Loss Power Foods, 7 Days of Fat Loss:  6 Hormones You Need to Know
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BONUS: 3 FREE FRESH & FABULOUS SALAD RECIPES

Stay healthy this season with plenty of fresh produce & protein!

We want to send you 3 of our FAVORITE “out of the box” salad recipes including:

  1. Grilled Shrimp Salad with Pina Colada Vinaigrette Dressing
  2.  Lemon Berry Salad with Sugared Pecans
  3.  Fat Loss Friendly Crab Cake Salad