Low-Cal Salads That Fill You Up - Part 1

Salad again?

Your greens won't seem so dull once you try these recipes. Flavorful ingredients, delicious dressings, and the perfect ratio of lettuce to toppings will bring your lunches from mundane to mouthwatering.

Find a healthy lunch favorite now!

Tangy watercress and arugula get a touch of sweetness from strawberries, orange juice, and poppy seeds.
Preparation:

Serves - 8

• 3 cups watercress leaves
• 3 cups torn arugula leaves 
• 3 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

Alternate

For a delicious twist on this salad, add 1 cup fiddlehead ferns. Fiddlehead ferns taste like a cross between green beans and asparagus. You can use blanched green beans or asparagus as a substitute for fiddlehead ferns. Spinach Salad with Strawberries: Replace the watercress and arugula with 6 cups torn tender spinach leaves. For a nutty crunch, add 1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the watercress, arugula and strawberries.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, oil, poppy seeds and orange rind. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS PER SERVING

CALORIES	40.4 CAL
FAT	1.7 G
SATURATED FAT	0.2 G
SODIUM	8.1 MG
CARBOHYDRATES	6.2 G
TOTAL SUGARS	3.3 G
DIETARY FIBER	1.5 G
PROTEIN	1.1 G

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Research shows that a chickpea-fortified diet can slash "bad" LDL cholesterol levels by almost 5%. Reap the benefits of this bean with this refreshing summer salad.

Preparation: Serves - 8

• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped 
• 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Alternate

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad WIth Feta: A bit of feta cheese adds a pleasantly tangy, creamy note to this salad. Crumble 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) feta cheese over the salad. It will increase the fat only slightly, to about 4 grams per serving.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, onion, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Toss to mix. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS PER SERVING

CALORIES	80.5 CAL
FAT	1.8 G
SATURATED FAT	0.2 G
SODIUM	213.4 MG
CARBOHYDRATES	13.9 G
TOTAL SUGARS	1.8 G
DIETARY FIBER	2.9 G
PROTEIN	2.9 G

Turkey Avocado Cobb Salad

Turkey breast and reduced-sodium turkey bacon make this a healthy meat-lover's delight.

INGREDIENTS

Serves:  Prep: 8min Cook: 7min Total: 15min

• 1 lb turkey breast cutlets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 8 C baby spinach leaves
• 4 slices cooked reduced sodium turkey bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 ripe avocado, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 4 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 oz blue cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill pan on medium high heat 2 minutes. Brush turkey with 1 teaspoon of the oil and sprinkle with half of the salt. Grill turkey 4 minutes, flip, and continue cooking until centers are opaque and juices run clear, about 3 minutes longer. Cut into chunks.
2. To prepare dressing, combine vinegar, mustard, 1 tablespoon of water, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt in glass jar. Shake well.
3. In large bowl, toss spinach with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange turkey, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, and cheese over spinach. Drizzle remaining dressing over salad and season with black pepper to taste.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS PER SERVING

CALORIES	288 CAL
FAT	13.4 G
SATURATED FAT	3.2 G
SODIUM	472 MG
CARBOHYDRATES	9.8 G
TOTAL SUGARS	0.8 G
DIETARY FIBER	5 G
PROTEIN	33.7 G

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