Simple and Easy Ways to Add Protein to your Salads

Salads are a really easy and simple way of adding a healthy meal to your regular routine. They can provide you essential vitamins and nutrients and healthy calories. It is an excellent way of keeping your weight in check and building muscle. Of course, salads can be very bland or light if made improperly. Making salads is about creating a perfect balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Most salads lack sustainable and good sources of protein. Today we shall tell you simple and easy ways to add protein to your salads. These protein sources can be vegetarian or non-vegetarian depending on your preferences.

Protein-rich diets help with weight loss, building muscle, fat loss, and weight management. It helps you feel full for longer and stay energized. High-protein diets have been linked to lower BMIs, muscle gain, and smaller waists. Experts suggest getting 15 to 30 grams of protein per meal.

What you will need for your salad is very simple. Simple greens such as spinach, lettuce, mixed greens, tomatoes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, eggs, chicken, turkey, chickpeas, or fish are just some ingredients you can play around with. Once you master the art of making salads, they will become regular meals in your life and help you maintain your weight and physique. You can add chicken, fish, turkey, or meat to your salads but there are other tastier and healthier options to fill up on proteins in your salads.

Pick the Right Greens- Certain varieties of greens contain more protein than others. Choose the right greens to make your salad. Instead of lettuce, go for spinach or kale. They are higher in protein and more filling. Spinach has about 1 gram of protein per cup and kale has about 2 grams of proteins per cup. Adding these to your salad can make it satiating and keep you full for longer.

Add thick dressings- It may seem sensible to add olive oil or light dressings to your salad to keep your calorie count low. But dressings such as Caesar salad, nut butters, or tahini dressings are higher in proteins and calories. As long as you use it in moderation, you can use it to increase your protein intake without disturbing your calorie count. Mix olive oil, vinegar, or citrus juice to these dressings to make the consistency thick but not thick like a dip. Note down the calories of your dressings if you are counting your macros.

Opt for beans- Beans are a great source of protein for vegetarians. Think of your salad as a meal. It will involve texture, flavor, crunch, and spices. Adding beans may seem weird at first but once you combine it with the right ingredients, your salads will be protein-packed. Make your salads Mexican style with black beans or use kidney beans to give it a taste of the Buddha bowl. Add oil, salt, pepper, and dressing liberally to cover your beans and give it that extra flavor.

Use nuts and seeds- Nuts and seeds add that crunch, flavor, and texture to bland salads. Almonds are full of protein and can be added to any salad as a topping. They can make your salad feel satiating. 1 tablespoon of almonds has 2 grams of protein which is excellent. 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds has 1.5 grams of protein. Other varieties of nuts and seeds will also have a similar ratio of protein. Chia seeds are the best thing to add to your salad. In fact, they are flavorless so you can add them to your smoothie, salad, shake water, or juice. Chia seeds are high in protein and fiber. Add in a teaspoon of chia seeds to your salad dressing. You can’t store dressing that includes chia seeds as they tend to expand over time and become jelly-like. This makes them wonderful for puddings but not really for salad dressings. Ideally, top your salad with chia seeds when you make it or mix in a spoon of your dressing with chia seeds just as you are about to consume the salad.

Eggs- The easiest and simplest way to add protein to your salad is to add an egg to it. Cut a boiled egg or add scrambled eggs to your salad to give it that punch of protein. Hard-boiled eggs, poached eggs, or sunny side up, there are so many ways you can add eggs to your salad.

Chickpeas- Chickpeas are a useful source of protein for vegetarians. Toast them or coat them in salt and store them for snacking or adding to salads. 1/2 cup of chickpeas contain about 7.5 grams of protein. You can coat them in olive oil, toast them in an oven till they are brown and crunchy, and then add to your salad. Toasted chickpeas can replace croutons in salads and soups. They are healthier and filling and contain lesser calories than croutons.