Using a Theme to Make Salads Less Boring

Salads are one of easiest ways to eat healthy—and for good reason. They’re usually full of good-for-you veggies, plus other nutritious ingredients. But unfortunately, salads are only healthy if you’re willing to eat them. And let’s be real here, sometimes salads just really suck. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve brought a salad to work, and when lunchtime finally arrives, I’d rather eat pretty much anything. Why? Because salads can be extremely boring.

At least for me, this is because I tend to make the same types of salads all the time. I used to run out of ideas, which made me hate salads for awhile. So I stopped eating them even though they can be so good for you. After a long hiatus from salad eating, I had an epiphany…

Why not make salads based on themes?

This is the life-changing method I used for making workout playlists back in the day when I had a limited number of songs. Instead of simply adding more songs to my master workout playlist, I made themed playlists out of music I already had, starting with a 90s workout playlist. Since this made such a huge difference with spicing up music playlists, I figured maybe, just maybe, it could revive my love for salads as well.

The way I use themes to create salads is 1. I think of a popular meal (like pizza, let’s say) and 2. I deconstruct the meal using fresh ingredients and throw it on some lettuce (so for pizza, this could be tomatoes, cheese, chopped pepperoni, and mushrooms). When you follow a specific theme, you’re basing your salad on a a classic combo of flavors. The possibilities are endless.

This is a surprisingly effective way to spruce up an otherwise boring salad. It really helps you think outside the box, using ingredients you might already have on hand to create a more interesting salad. Check out my long list of ideas below if you need some inspiration!

• PB & J – Dried fruit and nuts on top with a raspberry vinaigrette
• Pizza – Tomato, cheese, mushroom, and spinach (or a variation of what you like as toppings)
• BLT – Bacon, tomato, feta, and ranch dressing (e.g., BLT Wedge Salad)
• Southwestern – Corn, beans, avocado, tomato, cheese, and chicken
• Garden – Tomato, cucumbers, green pepper, onion, broccoli, celery, etc.
• Chef – Lunchmeat, egg, tomato, cucumbers, and cheese (e.g., Chef Salad Lettuce Wrap)
• Caprese – Tomato, mozzarella, basil, and avocado
• Thai – Edamame, carrots, red pepper, cilantro, and chicken with peanut dressing
• Greek – Feta cheese, onion, chickpeas, tomato, olives, and cucumber
• Buffalo Wings – Chicken coated with buffalo sauce, carrots, celery, blue cheese, and ranch (e.g., Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wrap)
• Omelet – Eggs, ham, mushrooms, and cheddar
• Tuna Salad – Tuna, hard boiled eggs, cucumber or apple, sunflower seeds, or whatever you put in a tuna salad
• Pad Thai – Shrimp, cilantro, peanuts, scallions, egg, and bean sprouts
• Chicken Salad – Chicken, dried cranberries, apple, grapes, onions, and almonds (e.g., Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad)
• Hummus – Chickpeas, red pepper, sesame seeds, and ripped up pita on top
• Guacamole – Avocado, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and tortilla strips on top
• Fajitas – Chicken, green and red peppers, onion
• Fruit and Nut – Strawberries, blueberries, apple, feta cheese, almonds, and walnuts (e.g., Nut and Berry Salad)
• Bloody Mary – Tomato, celery, bacon, shrimp
• Forget the Lettuce – Quinoa, veggies, starch of some sort, other randomness
• Little Bit of Everything – This is usually how I roll. Lots of veggies, nuts, seeds, maybe some chicken, etc.
• Colors of the Rainbow – Make it colorful! Choose a variety of colorful ingredients for a rainbow-inspired salad

That’s just a little taste of what you could create with a lot of ingredients you might not normally think to add to salads. I hope this inspires you to come up with some new and exciting salad combos! It has definitely changed the way I look at salads.

What are a few themes you think would work well as a salad?

What are your favorite salad toppings?