Easy and Delicious Salad Recipes for a Weight Loss Plan!

The quintessential fat loss diet food is a salad mixture of fresh produce. Most of us imagine a healthy salad as a bland mix of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and other leafy vegetables with a low-calorie flavorless dressing. It does not always have to be. When starting a fat loss diet, most of us don’t realize the problem on how to lose weight does not have to be remedied by boring and tasteless meals.

People who make bad eating habits usually fall under two stages: those who feel guilty about the wrong but tasty fat-ridden meal and those who feel cheated with a healthy yet boring meal which ultimately leads them back to their old ways and back to stage one.

The fat loss diet staple we have come to know and find predictable can actually be prepared in many unfamiliar fresh forms: prepared hot or cold, using vegetables, fruit or a combination of both and even mixed with lean meats and fish.

• Buy Locally And In Season

The first step to creating a nutritious meal is choosing the best ingredients. Always remember to choose what is in season — that way, you get the most affordable and freshly-picked produce available. Also consider buying produce that is locally grown by visiting your local farmer’s market. The less time it takes to get from the ground to your store, the more packed full of nutrients it will be.

• Variety Is Key

As with a fat-burning workout plan, in a fat loss diet you never want to get stuck in a rut and reach a plateau. Buying an assortment of fruits and vegetables enables you to get a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals as well as avoid the monotony of repetition. One reason why the market is gearing away from non-fat, zero cholesterol options like iceberg lettuce although it adds a mere 15 calories per serving to your daily caloric intake, is because it does not add much either in the form of nutrients as compared to Romaine, Arugula, Spinach or Radicchio.

• Add Protein

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates so consider adding choice proteins to your salad for a fulfilling meal that won’t leave you reaching for a snack soon after. Besides lean like turkey, chicken or turkey bacon, a fat loss diet should have a few protein-rich fruits and vegetables which include:

• Avocados 4.5 g of protein per cup

• Black beans 15 g per cup

• Asparagus 4.2 g per cup

• Spinach 5g per cup

• Soybeans 29 g per cup

The following recipes will help kick-start a healthy fat loss diet without compromise on flavor so you won’t feel deprived:

• Simple Salad With Tart Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, diced
• 2 heads romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

For The Dressing:

• 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp each of salt and pepper or to taste

Procedures:

1. Wash and drain 2 heads of romaine lettuce.
2. Shred into strips.
3. Combine with 2 diced avocados and 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes.
4. In a separate container, whisk together 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard. Finish dressing with ½ tsp each of salt and pepper or to taste.
5. Pour dressing over salad. Serves 4.

• Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 8 ounces each

• 4 cups mixed greens (Boston lettuce, Arugula or Romaine), shredded

• 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

• 6 ripe Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for chicken)

For Vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pinch pepper

Procedures:

1. Preheat grill.
2. Brush 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil on 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Grill chicken for 7-8 minutes per side.
4. Let chicken rest for ~3 minutes before cutting into strips or cubes.
5. Combine chicken with mixed greens and tomatoes.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk vinegar and olive oil together. Add mustard and minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Dress salad with vinaigrette. Garnish with cheese. Serves 4-5.

• Fresh Minty Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 mango, diced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 cups strawberries, quartered
• 4 kiwis, cut into chunks

For dressing:

• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp mint, finely chopped
• 1 tsp orange zest

Procedures:

1. Combine all fruit in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk orange juice, honey, mint and orange zest.
3. Just before serving, pour dressing over fruits. Best served chilled.  Serves 4-6.

Each of these recipes is quick, requires few ingredients and can be prepared in advance. They are perfect for those who want to know how to lose weight on a busy schedule. The fresh fruit salad can be eaten as a quick snack. It can also be eaten for an energizing breakfast which is important to prevent those cravings for binge eating later in the day.

There are no quick fixes and no magic answer to how to lose fat quickly and keep it off easily without work or perseverance but with lifestyle changes and diet modifications for a fat loss diet like these simple salads, you will be able to get yourself on the right fat-burning track.