My husband decided to voluntarily go gluten and dairy free about 2 years ago. He doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but believe me, I was not jumping up and down with excitement over that fun little decision of his. Meal planning has been turned upside down! Sure, we can eat meat and potatoes and vegetables, but I am starting to get sooooo bored of the same meals over and over and over again. We cook the meat differently, we switch out potatoes, rice and quinoa on an almost daily basis. But I’m running out of variations here. My husband promised he would do some research to find some interesting recipes for us, but I think he’s happy with the meat and potatoes diet? But it’s driving me a little batty, so I really need to start switching things up. And do you know what’s relatively easy to make, is almost always gluten free and can easily be altered to remove dairy products? (And you know, it’s kind of the post you just clicked on to read about…) SALAD! I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it sooner! I don’t usually get excited about salads, but going through this list of loaded salads, I’m starting to swoon. These recipes look AMAZING! Drool worthy even! I’m pretty sure these are the BEST salad recipes out there! (Although, I hand picked them all to include on this list, so I guess I’m biased…)
The healthy eating aspect of it all is definitely a bonus – and yes, these all look mega healthy – but I struggle when I have salad for dinner. Do you have that problem too? Where your brain doesn’t tell you you’re full even though you’ve eaten a healthy serving? My plate needs to be practically overflowing with salad if I’m eating it as the meal. I’m satisfied in the end, and I actually feel energized, but I’m pretty sure I’m not saving any calories when I eat them. Maybe you’re better at self control though? I need to work on that…
25 Meal Sized Loaded Salads
Any way you slice it (Ha… you know I love the puns!), these salads are super healthy, easy to put together and they’re loaded with protein and other nutrients so you’ll actually feel full. None of those boring salads you make on a regular weeknight (I’ve probably already made 50 iceberg lettuce, tomato and cucumber salads this year…). It’s time to rock your salad world. Try something new. Spice things up with a Chicken Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing or ditch the meat and try the Quinoa and Kale Protein Salad. There’s lots of options, with tons of different flavours! These are perfect for eaters with dietary restrictions because you can just leave things out from their bowl! Perfect for the WOAGADFH like me (wife-of-a-gluten-and-dairy-free-husband… OK, I just made that up… but it should really be a thing.).
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Chicken via FoodieCrush
Skinny Chicken and Avocado Caesar Salad via Cafe Delites
Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Cilantro Ranch via Carlsbad Cravings
Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette via The View From Great Island
Mexican Caesar Salad via Dinner at the Zoo
Cobb Salad via Diethood
Spaghetti Salad via The Country Cook
Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Dressing via Creme de la Crumb
Grilled Chicken Chopped Antipasto Salad via Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Grilled Chilli Lime Chicken Fajita Salad via Cafe Delites
Mexican Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad via Half Baked Harvest
Quinoa and Kale Protein Salad via FoodieCrush
Thai Chicken Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing via Sweet Peas and Saffron
Chinese Chicken Salad via Culinary Hill
Kale and Strawberry Salad with Bacon and Grilled Cheese Sandwich Croutons via Floating Kitchen
Chicken, Quinoa & Kale Salad with Basil Vinaigrette via Yummy Healthy Easy
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad via Life Made Simple
Southwestern Chopped Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing via Julia’s Album
Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Miso Dressing via Pinch of Yum
Honey Lime Shrimp and Avocado Taco Salad via Sweet Peas and Saffron
Seasoned Chickpea Taco Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing via She Likes Food
Chili Lime Chicken Salad via House of Yumm
Honey Mustard Chicken Bacon and Avocado Salad via Cafe Delites
Avocado Caprese Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette via Joyful Healthy Eats
Harvest Cobb Salad via Damn Delicious I would be so grateful if you would share this on Facebook! Seriously, every little bit of exposure helps us! All you have to do is click here and press share.
Be sure to check out our list of 33 Healthy Mason Jar Salads as well:
