17 Best Salad Ingredients for Weight Loss

Many consider a bowl of salad as a fool-proof way to lose weight, but the thought of grazing away bland and tasteless greens can seem like an unexciting task. Thankfully, there are so many better options to make plain salad interesting, but if you are thinking about adding croutons to get that crunchy factor, these fried goodies may not actually be diet friendly, and would add empty calories to an otherwise healthy salad. So, what are your other options to turn around salads and flavour to them, so that you no longer look at them with despair? To help you take a renewed liking to your regular bowl of salad, we have a prepared a list of ingredients which when added would not only get your tastebuds dancing with their freshness and nutritional value, they would also keep you healthy and help you in shedding a couple of pounds. But make no mistake, only a good weight loss diet such as on Rati Beauty app and an active lifestyle can burn fat, everything else are add-ins that boost weight loss efforts. So, here’s the list:

Best Salad Ingredients for Weight Loss

1. Eggs: Rich in protein, vitamins, essential minerals, you should be really putting egg in your salad to notch up the nutritional value of plain salad (even the leafy ones). An egg has about 78 calories, most of those calories are high in nutrients. It’s also a rich source of protein which helps you to remain full for most of the time and feel lesser pangs of unwanted snacking. Eggs help to boost metabolism up to 80–100 calories a day through its thermal effect and aids in burning more calories. Also, adding eggs would help better absorption of fat-soluble vitamin E from the leafy green vegetables since eggs are a healthy source of healthy fats (don’t dump those yolks yet).
2. Lettuce: We are already patting your back for including water-dense foods such as cucumber, lettuce, celery, cabbage, etc., in your salad because they serve two purpose – they are low in calories and carbs and at the same time, rich in water, so hydrate the body and make you fill with low calories.
3. Chickpeas: For vegetarians, boiled chickpeas are a great source of protein, which is why they are promoted by the Rati Beauty weight loss diets. Chickpeas can be categorized as highly nutritious because they are rich in vitamins and fiber. Chickpeas are also a great source of protein and dietary fiber, which are two nutrients that help with weight control. Each cup of chickpeas offers 15 grams of protein and up to 13 grams of fiber. The fiber content in chickpeas helps you to feel full for longer and keep the appetite under check. One would not feel hungry for a long time after consuming chickpeas, so there would be limited snacking, and increased chances of losing weight. A cup of chickpeas has 269 calories which is moderately high, but when mixed with low-calories vegetables, it is very filling and cut down your overall calorie intake.
3. Shredded Chicken: Get a good dose of protein by including shredded chicken with vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, spring onions, etc.
4. Pumpkin Seeds: Did we mention earlier that you need healthy fats for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K that would be available aplenty from veggies in your salad, so do not forget to sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the salad.
5. Black Beans: Black beans are often used in Mexican food because they’re a great source of fiber and protein. Not to mention, black beans look so good together with avocados, tomatoes, and corn.
6. Chia Seeds: These seeds are considered as superfood in the world of diet and nutrition because they are an excellent source of excellent source of protein, fiber, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, and also potassium and magnesium, among other nutrients. Whether you’re preparing a leafy green salad, a fruit and nut salad, or a salad with veggies and lentils, chia seeds will add a wonderful flavour and texture to your salad.
7. Spinach: This leafy green vegetables brings in high amount of nutrition to any dish, especially salads, with vitamin, mineral, and low calorie content.
8. Yellow Peppers: All kind of peppers, especially yellow pepper contain the compound “capsaicin,” which is a fat-burning compound that also suppresses appetite. Read in detail about how “Capsaicin and Cayenne Pepper Help you Lose Weight” in this post.
9. Peanuts: Swap croutons with roasted peanuts to get that crunch factor and also flavour along with protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
10. Carrots: Rich in beta carotene, nutrition, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, julienne out carrots to bite into them easily in salads.
11. Avocado: Avocado with its healthy fats is a great addition to salads and also in guacamole. Half an avocado has up to 10 grams of healthy mono-saturated fats that keep heart healthy and regulate insulin spike. It is also rich in fiber, which helps to keep hunger at bay and reduces your calorie intake and prevents weight gain.
12. Quinoa: When combined with spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, salt and pepper, cooked quinoa tastes absolutely delicious, and it’s a gluten-free and high protein option for everyone.
13. Sweet Potato: Even if you are not trying to lose weight, sweet potatoes should be part of your diet because though this vegetable has provitamin A (from beta-carotene), vitamin C and potassium among other nutrients. Sweet potato is also rich in antioxidants and may help reduce oxidative damage, lowering the risk of several diseases. Since these potatoes are low in calories, you can have them without going out of calorie deficit. Use them boiled or roasted to get a flavourful punch to salads.
14. Flaxseeds: Sprinkling roasted flaxseeds over salads can keep you fuller for longer with their good fiber content and also healthy fats. However, experts do suggest ground flaxseed over their whole form because it gets digested and absorbed better this way.
15. Paneer/Cottage Cheese: Another good protein source for vegetarians, cottage cheese or paneer can be used in grilled or roasted form to make any plain salad delicious.
16. Walnuts: Bring more crunch factor with walnuts and also curb appetite with omega-3 fatty acids and healthy fats.
17. Olive Oil: Do not forget to drizzle your salad with the healthiest oil, olive oil, that curbs appetite and also promotes fat burning with its monosaturated fatty acid content.

Find different ways to make your salad healthy, flavourful, and delicious on the weight loss diets on the Rati Beauty app.

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