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Need ideas to take tossed salad from bla to ooh-la-la? Today’s article is all about doing just that with an offering of over 100 tossed salad ideas. Discover everything from topping ideas and dressings to salad recipes and helpful products.
Leafy greens are low in both carbs and fat, they’re rich in vitamins and minerals, and they’re filling. All great attributes that contribute to healthful eating, especially when in weight loss mode (but also handy in maintenance mode). But, alone, they’re kinda boring. But because they have neutral fuel, they’re perfect for loading up with delicious toppings.
Tossed Salad Ideas
Leafy Greens (and Other Colors)
First, you must embrace the leafy stuff.
- arugula
- bok choy
- butter lettuce
- cabbage
- collard greens
- dandelion leaves
- endives
- escarole
- frisée
- green leaf lettuce
- iceberg lettuce
- kale
- mesclun
- raddichio
- red leaf lettuce
- romaine
- spinach
- spring mix
- swiss chard
- turnip greens
- watercress
Salad Topping Ideas
Please note that items marked with an asterisk (*) contain healthy carbs, making them Trim Healthy Mama (Carbalicious or E) friendly, but NOT keto friendly.
Veggies
You can roast, pickle, marinate, or enjoy raw.
- artichoke hearts
- asparagus
- avocados
- baby corn*
- bamboo shoots
- banana peppers
- beets
- bell peppers
- bean sprouts
- broccoli
- carrots
- capers
- celery
- corn*
- cucumbers
- fennel
- garlic
- grilled onions
- jalapeños
- jicama
- mushrooms
- olives
- peas*
- pepperoncini peppers
- radishes
- red onion
- scallions
- squash
- sweet potato*
- turnips
Fruits
- apples*
- blackberries
- blueberries
- grapes*
- oranges*
- pears*
- pomegranate*
- raspberries
- strawberries
- tomatoes
Grains & Legumes
Cooked first then cooled (or you can buy canned/jarred versions of some, may need rinsed first).
- barley*
- beans (kidney, black, etc.)*
- brown rice*
- quinoa*
Spices & Herbs
- basil
- black pepper
- cilantro
- curry powder
- dill
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- chili powder
- chives
- cumin
- garlic powder
- ground ginger
- mineral salt
- mustard seeds
- onion flakes
- onion powder
- parsley
- peppermint
- red pepper flakes
- sage
- tarragon
- thyme
Nuts & Seeds
Try them toasted or raw.
- almonds
- cashews
- peanuts
- pecans
- pine nuts
- pistachios
- poppy seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- sesame seeds
- sunflower seeds
- walnuts
Meat
Cooked, cooled, and chopped up.
- alligator
- anchovies
- bacon
- chicken
- cod
- crab
- crawdads
- fish
- game meat
- ground beef
- ham
- lobster
- lunch meat
- pancetta
- pepperoni
- prosciutto
- salmon
- salami
- scallops
- shrimp
- steak
- tilapia
- trout
- tuna
- turkey
Cheese
- asiago
- blue cheese
- cheddar
- cottage cheese
- feta
- goat cheese
- Light Laughing Cow cheese
- mozzarella
- parmesan
- Swiss
Other
- apple cider vinegar
- balsamic vinegar
- eggs (hard boiled or poached)
- lemon juice
- lime juice
- olive oil
- pork rinds
- salsa
- sour cream
- Whisps
Recipes
Dressings
The dressing is the best part! Be sure to whip up a batch before creating your tossed salad.
TJ’s House Ranch Dressing
America’s most beloved salad dressing–tangy, creamy Ranch dressing–is all yours to enjoy without sugar or excess calories!
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Honey Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
Sweetness and sour acidity join forces with small pops of poppy seeds in this simple and delicious honey poppy seed salad dressing.
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Caesar Salad Dressing
How to make Caesar salad dressing: just mix together four simple ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
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Chipotle Ranch Dressing
raditional ranch dressing marries with spicy chipotle seasoning to create this Chipotle Ranch Dressing.
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Thousand Island Salad Dressing
Tasty Thousand Island Salad Dressing is in reach even in a low carb lifestyle thanks to this simple recipe.
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Homemade Italian Salad Dressing
Easy to make Homemade Italian Salad Dressing. Perfect dressing for salads and dipping veggies and bread.
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Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
This lighter side of a creamy blue cheese salad dressing pairs wonderfully with a wedge salad.
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Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Salad Dressing
This olive oil and balsamic vinegar salad dressing recipe is great for your health—but only if the ingredients are high quality.
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Salads
Enjoy these keto and/or Trim Healthy Mama friendly tossed salad recipes.
Dutch Salad
This incredibly simple Dutch Salad is a frugal side for savory THM S dishes where you don’t want a lot of competing flavor. Or, load it up with non-starchy vegetables and turn it into your main meal!
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Easy Thai Chicken Salad with Canned Chicken
A quick and easy Thai chicken salad with canned chicken that tastes amazing. It’s simple to prepare and made with budget friendly ingredients. The dish is sure to become a regular!
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Big Mac Salad
This easy low carb Big Mac salad recipe is ready in just 20 minutes! A gluten-free, keto cheeseburger salad like this makes a healthy lunch or dinner.
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Unwich Salad
One of the easiest, yummiest, fastest lunches I can put together is this Unwich Salad, which has all the flavor of a good sandwich, but without the carbs.
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Wilted Kale Salad with Bacon
The wilted kale salad is further proof that bacon fixes everything. Think you don’t like kale? Try it like this.
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Very Berry Salad with Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette
This Very Berry Salad has summer written all over it! The sweetness of the berries and tang of the dressing are the perfect flavor combination.
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Grilled Romaine Salad
This Grilled Romaine Salad is great during summer grilling season. With a slightly smokey flavor, it changes things up easily.
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Southwest Chicken Salad
Tender grilled chicken, black bean and corn salsa and a creamy jalapeño cilantro dressing make this Southwest Chicken Salad a lovely meal for summer.
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Salmon Kale Superfood Salad
Easy sweet kale superfood salad with lemon vinaigrette, smoked salmon, and avocado is like a better Costco kale salad. 5 ingredients, plus 5 in the dressing!
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Taco Salad Crunch
Taco Salad Crunch is NOT boring. It’s the full deal: flavor, crunch, beautiful! Low fat and gluten free too!
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Southwest Steak Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
Make yourself a healthy and delicious Southwest steak salad with spicy avocado dressing. It’s the perfect way to eat a well rounded low carb meal.
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Spring Mix Salad with Blueberries, Goat Cheese, & Walnuts
This easy spring mix salad recipe with blueberries, goat cheese, and walnuts comes with a blueberry vinaigrette dressing. Just 5 minutes to make!
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BLT Salad with Tangy Mayo Dressing
A light and delicious way to enjoy the classic BLT sandwich taste by turning it into a BLT Salad with Tangy Mayo Dressing!
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Greek Gyro Salad
This Gyro Salad is filled with savory flavors, feta cheese, homemade gyro meat, and a delicious tzatziki dressing.
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Helpful Products
Strawberry/Tomato Huller
Remove the green hulls from your tomatoes or strawberries quickly and easily with minimal food waste using this simple but highly effective tool. Significantly cuts down on prep time and does a better job than a paring knife. To use, just gently insert the teeth, twist, and remove the hull.
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Salad Spinner
Wash, drain, and spin your leafy greens (and other colors), veggies, and fruit together until mostly dried off in this handy salad spinner. This particular model locks shut so the lid doesn’t fling off while you’re spinning and there’s an opening in the top to add moisture (think oil or dressing) while spinning.
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Quart Mason Jar and BNTO
Fill a quart size mason jar with your leafy stuff and toppings then add the dressing to the BNTO cup and insert it in the top before adjusting the flat and ring to the jar. Makes a great container that you can enjoy on the go and easily shake the dressing once added!
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Bentgo Fresh
Pack your salad, dressing, and perhaps a healthful side or two for eating on the go or at work with this handy bento-style lunch box. Contains three to four compartments (the main compartment has a divider so you can spit it into two, although for a salad, the one big one looks perfect).
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Travel Salad Dressing Containers
Another handy on-the-go item. Fill up one or a few of these guys with your salad dressing, oil, and/or vinegar or whatever else you can think of. I have found ones about identical to these at Dollar Tree, too. These are awesome for your Stay on Plan on the Go Pack, too!
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Salad Bowl and Servers
Serve a beautiful tossed salad family style in this large, goregeous Acacia wood salad bowl with matching servers. This specific bowl is twelve inches across, making it the perfect size to serve your family or guests.
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PortoFino Salad Servers
Save space in your drawer or utensil holder and serve salad with style using these convenient salad servers. These servers have two-in-one functionality. Take them apart to lift and serve salad or keep them together to use as tongs to serve smaller items.
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Zinger Salad Dressing Mixer and Blender
A reusable salad dressing cruet that replaces disposable plastic bottles and packaging!
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Thanks for all the different salad ideas!! There are some different ones I am excited to try.