Consuming bagged salads, is absolutely the quickest and easiest, healthy lunch to make. I’ve been enjoying this meal idea for at least four of my weekly lunches for a few years now, and I’m still not bored of it! I love the fact that an average size of bagged salad contains almost three cups of veggies, and most mixes aren’t just leafy greens anymore. They’re a mix of shredded cabbage, carrots, Brussels Sprouts and radishes. Add half of an avocado to the side of your salad, and you easily get 3-4 servings of veggies in one meal!
3 Tips to Enjoy your Bagged Salads More
1. Enjoy the wide variety of bagged salads that are available.
It’s important to switch your salad dressing, and toppings, up. Believe me, no matter how much you love a particular salad dressing now, you will 100% get sick of it one day, if that’s the only flavour you eat. It happened to me, with Renee’s Sweet Onion vinaigrette. After consuming every salad I ate for two months with this salad dressing, I had to throw out my last bottle. I still can’t look at it, and I haven’t tasted it for over two years now! Taylor Farms is always coming up with new bagged salad varieties; their dill pickle chopped salad kit is AMAZING! The bagged salad section in the grocery stores continues to grow. The constant innovation launched in this category, ensures that we never get bored with bagged salads!
2. Add protein to your salad, or you will get hungry not long after.
I have to add protein to my salads. Protein is really important to consume in each meal no matter what it is. Just add chicken, shrimp, tuna or beans to your bagged salad and voila, you have a nutrient dense, healthy, low-calorie meal! When we’re tight on time we buy already cooked, rotisserie chicken versus barbequing chicken breasts.
3. Watch how much salad dressing and ‘other’ ingredients you add.
Read the label on your bagged salad. The dressings aren’t always the lightest in calories. To combat this, I go light on the salad dressing by making it last for a couple of meals. I add extra ‘slaw’ into salads, my favourite is the PC brand Broccoli Slaw. These slaws are filled with nutrients, and they don’t come with salad dressing, so they’re perfect to mix in with a bagged salad. A good rule of thumb is to try making the pouch of salad dressing and other ingredients that usually come with the bagged salad (ie. cheese and spices) last for at least 2 meals.
To Sum it up…Bagged Salads are the Best Meal Idea!
It can’t get much easier than bagged salads, to make a healthy, satisfying lunch filled with 3-4 servings of veggies. So you don’t get sick of them, be sure to switch up the variety you eat regularly. Add protein to your salads to fill you up for hours. And to keep your salad healthier, go light on the dressing and other special ingredients included in the salad kit by mixing your bagged salad with a slaw.
So…what do you think, will you give bagged salads a try over this next month? Add them into your regular lunch menu and see how easy and delicious they are!