Toyman! said:
With that in mind, tell me what's in your favorite salad beyond the usual lettuce, carrots, shrooms, and such.
What's your favorite dressing?
Base: Plain iceberg lettuce sucks from both a flavor and nutrition standpoint. I either use all spinach or a spinach/kale mix as my base. Can't really overdo it with the portion of greens IMO.
Protein: I try to meal prep this. Chicken is an inexpensive, versatile choice that can be done tons of different ways (grilled, pan fried, teriyaki, fajita style, honey mustard, baked, etc). I've also done steak leftovers, or even ground beef taco meat. The choice here impacts what else I add.
Veggies: Shredded carrots, chopped bell peppers, banana peppers, onion, avocado, cherry tomatoes, etc. Hard to go wrong here from a nutrition perspective. I just try to make it colorful and fitting.
Cheese: I often reach for feta or goat cheese, but sometimes parmesan or a basic shredded cheese is more fitting
Crunch: Croutons aren't the best from a nutrition standpoint, so I try to substitute chopped nuts, tortilla strips, sesame/sunflower/flax seeds, etc. Whatever is on hand and fits
Dressing: Depends on the theme, but I prefer oil based dressings like Italian, vinaigrettes, etc for most cases. If I'm doing a Mexican or taco themed salad I might just use salsa with a dash of taco sauce.
Fruit: I don't do this one often, but sometimes some berries can really fit with some grilled chicken and a light vinaigrette.
