Building Craveable & Satisfying Meat-Free Salads

When you’re cutting back on meat, salads can be a go-to for lighter, plant-based meals. But we’re not talking about sad, wimpy piles of lettuce. With the right mix of ingredients, your meat-free salads can be just as hearty, nutritious and craveable as any protein-packed plate.

The key is balancing a variety of flavors, textures and nutrients to create a delicious and satisfying meal. Here’s how to bulk up your salad game with some stellar supporting ingredients:

A Pop of Produce
Packing salads with vibrant produce opens the door to endless mix-and-match possibilities. The secret to unlocking maximum nutrition? Embrace a rainbow of colors! Load up your salads with juicy summer berries, diced mangoes, creamy avocados, ripe tomatoes, crisp peppers and sweet corn. Add your favorite vibrant fruits and veggies to instantly elevate your salads, infusing them with maximum flavor, fiber and antioxidants.

Grain Goodness
Hearty whole grains like quinoa, farro, barley and bulgur add a chewy texture and a boost of fiber, plant-based protein, B vitamins and minerals. Toasting the grains first gives an extra flavor dimension. Tossed warm or cooled, they make the perfect salad base.

Plant-Powered Protein Boost
Whether you opt for beans, lentils, hard-boiled eggs or all of the above, these plant-based protein sources transform simple salads into satiating, energizing meals. Consider pre-cooking batches of beans and lentils for quick assembly or preparing hard-boiled eggs in advance. Chickpeas and jammy eggs are other quick options that add depth and flavor.

Nut & Seed Crunch
These shelf-stable superfoods offer more plant protein plus a satisfying crunch factor. Sprinkle slivered almonds, walnut pieces, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans – you name it. Incorporating these healthy fats and varied textures is a great way to enhance the flavor and substance of your salads.

With so many fresh, flavorful and nutrient-dense options for bulking up your meat-free salads, you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Start experimenting with the recipes in this section, then get creative with different combos or look for pre-prepped salad kit options that make healthy eating easy and insanely tasty.