Salad often gets overlooked and is considered a boring or not filling enough, but the truth is, a well-put together salad bowl can be very satiating and a powerhouse of nutrition and flavour. Whether you’re looking to balance your diet, eat cleaner, or simply enjoy more vegetables in your diet, a salad bowl is the way to go. Today, I’m sharing with you my Nutritionist methods to make the perfect, wholefood-based salad bowls to add to your clean eating or weight loss menu. So, grab a warm cup of metabolic-boosting green tea, your notepad, and let’s explore these ideas together!
In this meal prep guide, I am going to walk you through how to create the perfect salad bowls, focusing on healthy, wholefood ingredients that will help to keep you feeling full, deeply nourished, and satisfied. Many of these clean eating ingredients you probably already have sitting in your fridge or kitchen pantry. Chopping boards ready? Let's tuck in...
Salad Bowls As Part Of A Balanced Diet
If you have followed me even for a nano second, you'd know I am huge fan of salad and am always sharing my recipes cross my socials. The thing I love about salad bowls is just how easy it is to create a healthy, fulfilling meal from fruit, nuts, seeds, veggies and leftovers as part of a balanced diet. A thoughtfully put together salad bowl is more than just a handful of greens. Salad bowls can provide:
wholefood nutrition: dietary fibre, lean protein, and healthy fats that can help support your overall health and wellbeing
appetite control: high-fibre ingredients that leave you fuller faster, reducing the cravings and unnecessary snacking
ease and versatility: salads are quick to prepare, fully customisable, and can cater to a variety of taste preferences and dietary needs
delicious flavours: with the right ingredients and dressing, salads can taste positively mouth-watering
How To Make The Perfect Salad Bowl
Ok, so now that you're reconsidering the value of salad on your weekly clean eating menu, let me provide you with a simple list (see below) to help you get started,. These are fundamentals of making that perfect bowl and balancing your macros with every bite. Here are the essential components:
1. High-Fibre Base
Begin with a fibre-rich base to enhance satiety and support digestive health. Dietary fibre is a core part of a well-balanced, clean eating diet and nourishes your gut microbes while also helping you feel satisfied on less food. So, if you're counting calories, dieting for weight loss, or aiming to rebalance your appetite, high-fibre ingredients should be a major focal point in salad bowls.
Try these naturally high-fibre ingredients:
plenty of leafy greens like arugula, collard greens, kale, spinach, and mixed spring greens
add cruciferous vegetables like shredded cabbage, broccoli slaw, or Brussels sprouts
negative caloric veggies like celery, cucumber, kale, zucchini, cauliflower and cabbage
whole grains such as quinoa, farro, or brown rice for added fibre and texture
nuts and seeds like almonds, chia, flax, LSA, pecans, pumpkin, sunflower, and walnuts
By adding small portions of high fibre ingredients to salad bowls, you'll find they not only add flavour, but they provide many health benefits to support healthy, clean eating. Aim for 30g of fibre per meal.
2. Lean Protein Sources
Protein is the building block of the human body, and is used for muscle repair, energy, and keeps you satiated after eating. Protein is a macro-nutrient you can only get from the food you eat and an essential nutrient in a well-balanced, clean eating diet. Include protein from a variety of both animal and plantbased sources:
animal-based proteins include:
grilled chicken breast, roast beef, turkey, ham or marinated lamb.
hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, feta cheese, cheddar or mozzarella cheese.
canned tuna, salmon, anchovy or fresh seafood like grilled prawns.
plantbased proteins include:
legumes such as chickpeas, black beans, or edamame.
nuts and seeds like chia, flax and pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, or hemp hearts.
seasoned tofu, tempeh, or nutritional yeast
The best combo in salad bowls for both taste and to feel satiated especially if dieting for weight loss, is to include a 30-60g servings of lean protein, and add a small serving of healthy fat.
3. Healthy Fats For Flavour & Satiety
Healthy fats enhance the flavour and texture of salad bowls while keeping you full longer. Not all fats are created equal, so go for those from wholefood sources to add to your salad bowl such as:
avocado, olives, soybeans (which also offer extra dietary fibre)
nuts and seeds especially if you use a dressing made from tahini
coconut nut, flaxseed and olive oil to use in homemade salad dressings
fatty fish like anchovies, salmon or sardines for the flavour and fatty nutrients
4. Colourful Vegetables For Vitamins & Antioxidants
A vibrant, colourful salad isn’t just visually appealing; it’s also packed with many essential vitamins and nutrients. Be sure to include these nutritious powerhouse ingredients:
crunchy veggies like red, yellow orange capsicums, cucumbers, radishes, purple cabbage, or carrots
roasted or grilled veggies such as grilled capsicums, eggplant, sweet potatoes, zucchini, or asparagus
roasted or grilled fruit like pineapple, peaches, mango, and strawberries
fresh additions like cherry tomatoes, shredded beets, red onion, and fresh herbs.
They say eat a rainbow, and making a salad bowl full of brightly coloured ingredients is an excellent way to practise this. Aim for at least 3-4 different colours in your salad bowls.
5. Complex Carbohydrates For Long-Lasting Energy
Add complex carbs to your salad bowl to help fuel your body with long-sustaining energy. These nutritious carbs, are used in small portions as you only need a little to reap the benefits. Try these:
roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and other root vegetables
quinoa, brown rice and couscous
baked, steamed or roasted butternut squash and pumpkin
Remember, you only need a little bit of complex carbs to get the benefits, so add in a small portion to your salad bowls such as 1/4 cup or less of quinoa, roasted starchy veggies or squash.
6. Toppings for Extra Flavour & Texture
The final touches make your salad bowl exciting and irresistible. I love adding crunchy or sweet toppings to salad bowls that add an edible garnish or a little pizzaz to salad. Try these ideas:
love crunchy: try baked tortilla strips, crushed rice crackers, crispy air-fried chickpeas, pine nuts, or toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
savory girlie: try olives, sun-dried tomato, crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, or nutritional yeast
sweet tooth: try fresh berries, chopped fresh or grilled fruit, dates and cranberries, pomegranate seeds, apple, pear or orange segments
Use the natural colour and textures of your salad bowl ingredients to help decorate your bowl and make for a stunning presentation. It is remarkably easy to do, and tastes utterly delicious. I encourage you to experiment with this and then come share your creation inside the Facebook Community, where you'll also find more inspiration just like this post.
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The Secret to the Perfect Salad Dressing
A good salad dressing beautifully ties all the salad ingredients together. Dressing should be used sparingly and it is always best if you make your own from scratch rather than use store-bought. Commercial dressings are notorious for hidden sugars, additives and unnatural ingredients simply used to keep the product preserved on the grocery shelf. You can make your own delicious dressings at home with wholesome ingredients you probably already have int he pantry. Choose options that are flavourful yet healthy:
Vinaigrettes
Lemon, herbs and oil, balsamic, or apple cider vinegar-based blends are vinaigrette-style dressings, and are fabulous, low carb way to add little moisture and flavour to salad. You typically combine one part vinegar with 2-3 parts oil, and then add in lemon juice or peel, herbs and seasonings, crushed fruit, or chia seeds to make a tangy vinaigrette.
Creamy Dressing
Think rich and creamy, like a refreshing Greek yogurt ranch, spicy tahini drizzle, or an avocado-lime for a punchy Mexican kick. Creamy dressings are used sparingly, and provide a great way to add in a little extra protein or healthy fats to your salad bowls. You can easily them by combining your base ingredient such as yoghurt, tahini or smashed avocado with your favourite spices, a little liquid to make it slightly runny, then whisk it all up to create that creamy texture and consistency.
Fruity Dressing
Using fruit as the base for a sweet and tangy dressing makes a mouth-watering dressing that is wonderful on summer salads, or used when you want that little tangy zip to finish off your salad bowl. You can use any fruit you like, and typically smash or blend the fruit, and then add in a splash of vinegar, a little oil and whatever herbs and seasonings you like. For example, a combination of smashed kiwi, raspberries or mandarin oranges blended with white or balsamic vinegar, olive oil and chia seeds makes a divine dressing that is high in dietary fibre.
Chia Seed Dressing
Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are full of antioxidants and dietary fibre, making them perfect salad dressing ingredient. As mentioned above, combine them with tangy balsamic vinegar and chia seeds for a winning combo. This can be used on savory or even fruit salad for a flavourful dressing.
Nut Butter Dressing
This is one of my favourite types or dressings and is made quite simply with a small portion of nut butter, whisked with a splash of vinegar and oil. You can add soy sauce with peanut butter to create a Asian inspired dressing, or add chili and other hot spices for a flavourful kick. A little tahini, lemon and garlic makes a Greek-inspired dressing that is lovely on fresh salads, but also mouth-wateringly delicious over Buddha Bowls and warm salads.
As you can now see, there are numerous ways to serve salad bowls that have heaps of flavour and many can transform boring old lettuce into a delicious and satisfying meal. Hopefully this has inspired you to start making more salad bowls and add salad as a healthy, clean eating staple in your weekly menu.
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Sample Salad Bowl Recipe Ideas
I couldn't just leave you without sharing some healthy recipes to help get you started. These are some of my favourite recipes to make and help me eat salad all week without ever getting bored. I encourage you to pick a few of these clean eating recipes, and add them to next week's menu. Then come jump in the Facebook Community and share your creations with us!
Mediterranean Power Bowl |
Ingredients |
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Plantbased Protein Bowl |
Ingredients |
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High Protein Salad Recipe |
Ingredients |
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Low Carb Salad Recipe |
Ingredients |
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Tips For Make-Ahead Salad Bowls
So, now that you are inspired to make more salad bowls, here's my top Nutritionist's meal prep tips to help you do the job in the least amount of time with a few savvy meal prepping habits.
Meal Prep Proteins
Many protein salad ingredients are easy to cook in advance such as grilled, air-fryer, or baked chicken, salmon or beef, hard-boil eggs, or roast vegetables and spiced chickpeas. You can even do this in bulk to so have heaps on hand for the week ahead and to add to other meals.
Preserving Greens & Herbs
To keep fresh and delicate greens from spoiling during the week, store the washed greens in airtight containers with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Some greens and herbs like watercress or parsley and basil, do well in a glass of water to keep them plump and hydrated.
Pre-portion Ingredients
Meals are easy to throw together when you have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go. I love using mason jars or meal prep containers for this, and make salad jars by layering hard, durable ingredients like carrots on the bottom then softer veggies like cucumber and tomato next, followed with the delicate greens on top. This creates easy grab-and-go meal options for the week, and you just eat from the jar or dump into a bowl and top with dressing just before eating. You can also batch cook other ingredients and have them in separate containers ready to be dumped into a plan for quick stir fry, casserole or other recipes.
Store Dressing Separately
As mentioned above, I recommend storing pre-cooked or chopped ingredients separately when possible to keep them as fresh as possible. Chicken kept in sealed container will keep fresher longer than when it is combined with other ingredients as the mix of natural bacteria can feed on each other. I use the 2-3 day rule and make sure all fresh or cooked food stuff is used up by then which is so much easier to do and persevere freshness if kept prepped and ready to tossed together.
Nutritionist's Note
If you'd like to learn more about healthy, clean eating, then come and join my free Facebook Community where I share heaps of healthy, wholefood recipes, nutritional advice, and weight loss support every week. Clean eating is something I regularly teach in clinic and on Zoom masterclass workshops. See my events page for the next masterclass on this topic or drop a comment below for me to answer your personal questions.
Emma Lisa, Nutritionist & Women's Practitioner
Emma Lisa is a Nutritionist & Women's Health Practitioner with over 14+ years experience in wholefood nutrition, meal planning and health coaching. She is a Certified Personal Trainer & Fitness Instructor, a published cookbook author, passionate food recipe creator and lifestyle blogger, and an advocate for women's health. When she's not in clinic, Emma is mum to five kids, found in her test kitchen or sharing her creative talents for wellness content. She lives in Sydney, Australia. FOLLOW: Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER
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