11 Best Salad Recipes for Weight Loss

Want to knock down a few extra kilos from your body weight? You can easily do so by replacing a high-calorie diet with healthy and nutritious salads. But does that mean that any kind of salad is great for making you slim and slender? The truth is, some salad recipes contain calorie-dense food items that may do the opposite. If you wish to know how to choose the right ingredients for the salad, some easy salad recipes and other such info, grab more such info in the following post!

Why Salads are Advisable for Weight Loss?

When anyone thinks of losing weight, salad is the first meal that pops up; because if prepared with right ingredients, eating salads can not only kick up your metabolism, but also help burn calories, which in turn may help in dropping a few kilos.

Tips to Choose the Best Salad Ingredients for Losing Weight

Choose the best salad ingredients for losing some weight with these tips:

1. Choose Different Coloured Vegetables

Do not just stick to green coloured vegetables, our body needs all kinds of vitamins and minerals that are available in different coloured vegetables. Include red (bell peppers, tomatoes etc), white (mushrooms, shallots etc), orange (carrots, squashes etc), purple (eggplant, cabbage etc) and various such vegetables along with your greens.

2. Add Protein

Protein keeps you feel satiated for longer, therefore add proteins such as seafood (tuna, shrimp etc), meat (grilled chicken, lean steak etc) or add grains like brown rice, barley, etc.

3. Add Healthy Fats

Apart from vitamins, minerals and protein, our body also requires a healthy dose of fats. Opt for healthier fats than the ones that won’t help with weight loss. Some good options include nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts etc), seeds (pumpkin seeds, chia seeds etc), olive oil, etc.

4. Choose a Healthy Base

Do not choose pasta or potatoes as a base of your salad, it can be high in calories and fats. Make sure your base includes more greens. Include fewer spring greens like mustard greens, spinach, chard, etc. and more of crisper greens like lettuce, cabbage, etc.

5. Add Healthy Salad Dressing

There umpteen options available in your favourite gourmet store; but remember that most of these dressings include high amounts of calories. Therefore, the best bet is to make your own dressing with some olive oil, citrus fruits, seasonings, salt and pepper.

6. Choose the Right Herbs

Instead of choosing dried herbs, opt for fresh seasonal herbs that are locally available. The aroma and taste that a fresh herb can render to a salad, a dry herb cannot do so. There are many herbs that you can choose from such as basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, etc.

Best Weight Loss Salad Recipes

Here are some wide varieties of salad recipes suiting everyone’s palates that may help you in losing weight:

1. Spinach and Cabbage Salad

This easy to make green salad recipe can be tossed in a jiffy and requires no cooking.

Ingredients

• ½ cup shredded spinach leaves
• ½ cup shredded cabbage
• ½ cup shredded red cabbage
• 2 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
• ½ cup carrots, thickly grated
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp mustard powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

Total Cook Time : 10 to 15 min

Calories : 90 calories

Serving : 3 to 4

How To Make

• Wash all the veggies thoroughly.
• Take a big bowl and combine all the salad ingredients. Toss it thoroughly.
• Serve at once.

2. Sprouts Salad

The tempering enhances the crunchiness of the pulses and vegetables, and helps in boosting the flavour. This recipe of sprout salad for losing weight can be tossed in no time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mixed sprouts (moong daal, rajma, chana, etc.)
• ¼ cup radish, grated
• ½ cup tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
• ¼ cup methi leaves, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• A pinch of hing
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt as per taste

Total Cook Time : 12 to 15 min

Calories : 50 calories

Serving : 3 to 4

How To Make

• Take all the above-mentioned ingredients except oil, hing and green chilli in a big bowl. Toss them nicely.
• Heat oil in a pan, add hing and green chilli, sauté for a few seconds.
• Pour the tempering over the sprouts salad, mix nicely and serve.

3. Capsicum and Bean Sprout Salad

This salad recipe is a powerhouse of vitamin C because both bean sprouts and capsicum are loaded with ample vitamin C.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup bean sprouts
• ¼ cup capsicum, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp vinegar
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
• 1 ½ tsp oil
• 1 tbsp spring onions, chopped

Total Cook Time : 12-15 mins

Calories : 60

Serving : 3-4

How To Make

• In a bowl mix soy sauce, vinegar, chilli powder, sugar and peanuts. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Let it cool.
• Take bean sprouts, capsicum and both the dressings and give a thorough mix.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve.

4. Vegetable and Sprout Salad

Sprouts increase the nutritional quotient of this salad recipe.

Ingredients

• ½ cup mixed boiled sprouts (kala chana, moong daal, rajma etc)
• 1 cup lettuce, roughly chopped
• 1 cup capsicum, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp spring onions, chopped
• ½ tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup curd (low-fat)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Total Cook Time : 15 min

Calories : 45

Serving : 3-4

How To Make

• In a bowl mix curd, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep aside.
• In a deep bowl take all the salad ingredients and give a nice toss.
• Refrigerate for an hour. Serve chilled.

5. Tangy Salad

This salad offers loads of fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C. The ripe red tomatoes lend a tangy twist to crunchy cucumbers.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cucumber, sliced
• 2 cups iceberg lettuce, roughly torn
• 2 cups tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped into cubes
• 1 tbsp basil leaves
• 1 tsp garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil

Total Cook Time : 10 min

Calories : 60

Serving : 4

How To Make

• Combine all the above-mentioned ingredients and mix well.
• Serve immediately.

6. Corn, Broccoli and Jalapeno Salad

The high fibre content in the salad keeps you feeling satiated and provides you with much-needed energy.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup boiled corn kernels
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• ½ cup onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp jalapeno, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Total Cook Time : 10 min

Calories : 90

Serving : 4

How To Make

• Steam broccoli and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, sauté onions for a few minutes on medium heat.
• Add broccoli, corns, jalapeno and salt and cook on high flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve hot.

7. Watermelon Salad

This fruit salad recipe contains watermelon, which keeps you feeling fuller for a long time.

Ingredients

• 1 big bowl of watermelon, cut into cubes
• 1 cup black olives, pitted
• Few mint leaves, chopped
• 200 grams feta cheese, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 small red onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Black pepper to taste

Total Cook Time : 10 min

Calories : 80

Serving : 3-4

How To Make

• In a big bowl, add watermelon, black olives, mint leaves, onions and feta cheese.
• Drizzle olive oil and black pepper, mix well and serve.

8. Kala Chana Salad

This yummy kala chana salad recipe is not only filling, but it also gives you an added dose of protein.

Ingredients

• 2 cup boiled kala chana
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Few curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt to taste

Total Cook Time : 10 min

Calories : 150

Serving : 4

How To Make

• Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
• Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Add boiled chana, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve hot.

9. Chickpea Salad

Loaded with dietary fibre, protein and other important minerals and vitamins, this salad can make an ideal lunch option when you are trying to knock off kilos.

Ingredients

• 2 cups boiled chickpeas
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2-3 tablespoon mint chutney
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder

Total Cook Time : 10-12 min

Calories : 145

Serving : 4

How To Make

• In a big salad bowl, add boiled chickpeas, onion, cucumber, tomatoes and give them a toss.
• Add mint chutney, cumin powder, pepper powder and lemon juice. Serve.

10. Mix Vegetable Salad

This recipe of mix veg salad for weight loss is very simple and easy and can be made with least effort.

Ingredients

• 1 cup capsicum, diced
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• ½  cup carrots, cut into cubes
• Few leaves of spinach, roughly torn
• ½ cup cabbage leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Black pepper and salt to taste

Total Cook Time : 10-15 min

Calories : 55

Serving : 3-4

How To Make

• In a bowl, take all the chopped veggies and give them a good toss.
• Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and serve.

11. Pomegranate and Carrot Salad

This fruit and vegetable salad recipe for weight loss is ideal for people who like a dash of sweetness.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pomegranate
• 1 cup carrots, julienned
• Few mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp rock salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Total Cook Time : 15-20 min

Calories : 65

Serving : 3

How To Make

• Take a large bowl. Add lemon juice, sugar, black pepper, rock salt and mint leaves. Mix well.
• Throw in pomegranate and carrots. Give a nice mix and serve.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions:

1. Will Eating Too Much Salad Make Me Gain Weight?

Though most salads usually contain green vegetables and fresh fruits, it is not recommended to load on too much salad, especially the ones with heavy dressing or calorie-dense add-ons because these can take a toll on your weight loss journey.

2. How Much Weight Can I Lose By Just Eating Salad?

How much weight you lose by eating salad may depend on what goes in your salad. Therefore, along with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keep a tab on what goes in your salad. Refrain from high-calorie dressings, cheese, creams and other such add-ons that can make you gain instead of losing weight.

Try these simple and sumptuous salad recipes and lose weight in a healthy way!

Also Read:

Foods to Avoid to Lose Weight Quickly
Drinking Green Coffee for Weight loss
Using Apple Cider Vinegar for Losing Your Weight