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Make eating salad as simple as can be with these salad ideas and easy salad recipes for every day of the week. Salad meal prep has never been so easy!
I’m sharing all of my salad meal prep tips here today: the salad base, the proteins, the toppings, and all of the salad dressings in one giant blog post. I promise you now, that if you give it a try, this just might rock your salad-eating world.
This salad meal prep was first published almost 10 years ago and it immediately became one of the most popular posts I’ve published here on this site. I’m updating the post today to answer some of the more frequently asked questions.
Eating Salad Everyday
“How To Eat Salad Every Day And Like It!” could also be called “My FAVORITE Salads a.k.a. the Fritos Every Day Diet.”
While I’d like to say that I’ve always been a fan of salad, that hasn’t always been true. I’ve always tried to love eating salad, but unless I went to the trouble of making a really great salad (something that often felt like a whole lot of effort in the past), it was hard to get excited about eating a salad most days.
That all changed when I topped my salad with a handful of Fritos for the first time. I know, that sounds completely ridiculous, but I’m telling you now that Fritos are a salad game changer.
Not only does that simple corn chip add great salty flavor and crunch to any salad, the Frito fits perfectly on a fork, it is bite-size, and it’s a fun way to tell all the greens that there is more to the salad life than just vegetables.
Still not convinced? I can’t even tell you how many people have snapped me pictures of their salads with Fritos on top while laughing and telling me that I’m to blame for their newfound love of salads + Fritos. I swear that there really is no better way to top a salad.
Thank you! This is just the information I needed! I have gotten into the habit of not eating salads with my meals because I didn’t take time to make them. This has changed everything! Again thank you.
Salad Meal Prep
There are countless ways to make a fantastic salad completely your own, so I’m sharing some of my favorite salad meal prep tips today. The key for me is to prep all the greens and vegetables for the salads about once a week; I typically do this on Sunday.
It takes me about 30-45 minutes, but in the end, I have lunches made for the week and that keeps my healthy eating on track without having to fuss with it during the week or come up with new lunch salad ideas each day.
I use 6 large containers that I line with a paper towel. The paper towel absorbs moisture and as a result, the greens and other vegetables will stay fresh longer.
When I originally photographed this post, I used these square containers to store the prepped salads. But I’ve since found that I prefer these less expensive and sturdier deli containers and I use them endlessly in my meal prep now. (You can see them in the video below.)
Notes on Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Salad spinner – I’ve had my salad spinner for over 10 years now and what a salad-making game-changer it has been. I balked at buying one for years before I finally did so, and man, if you’ve ever considered one, let this be the nudge you needed.
- Storage containers – I swear by these containers for all of my meal prep. They are freezer safe and you can’t beat the price.
Vegetables for Salads
Any combination of these vegetables will keep nicely for several days in the refrigerator.
- chopped greens: typically a mix of romaine, spring mix, spinach, arugula, or butter lettuce (rarely all of them, just whichever ones I have on hand at the time)
- tomatoes: sliced or chopped
- cucumber: sliced or chopped (I often remove the seeds, but it isn’t required)
- corn: canned, frozen, or fresh
- bell peppers: sliced thin or chopped small
- red onions: sliced thin
- green onions: sliced thin
Proteins for Salads
The proteins can be made just for the salads or simply be saved as leftovers from dinners through the week.
- taco meat
- pulled pork or carnitas
- slow cooked chicken: shredded or chopped bite-size
- grilled chicken thighs: sliced thin or chopped bite-size
- ham: diced
- hard boiled eggs: chopped
- canned tuna fish or chicken: drained well
- chili lime shrimp
- mojo salmon
- beans: black, kidney, or pinto beans
Salad Toppings
- cheese: shredded, diced, or crumbled
- avocado: sliced or diced
- fruits: diced apples or pears, orange slices, grapes, fresh berries
- plenty of crunch: croutons, tortilla chips, or my personal favorite Fritos
- fresh lime
- salt and pepper
- salad dressing of your choice: Italian, Poppyseed, White Balsamic Vinaigrette, and the absolute BEST Homemade Ranch Dressing are a few of our favorites.
Your frito idea seriously changed my salad loving life! I adapted it probably a year ago and before that, I used to hate the idea of a salad. Now I can literally eat it for every meal! With minimal oil and vinegar too! It’s the gateway to salad loving! Thank you!!
Make Ahead & Storage
I made a video to show exactly how I meal prep my salads each week. So, be sure to check it out in the recipe card below. There are a lot of different salad ideas here and so many delicious ways to keep things interesting when you’re meal prepping salads.
Make Ahead: Prep all the vegetables and toss them together. Line your containers with paper towels and fill each one with the salad mix. Place a second folded paper towel on top of the vegetables and close each container to make it airtight.
How to Store: Store the prepared salads in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to Use: When ready to use, remove the paper towels. Add the protein of your choice to the pre-made salad greens and vegetables. Add the toppings of your choice. Squeeze lime generously over the salad, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Or toss with your favorite salad dressings.
More Salad Ideas
- Carnitas (or pulled pork), avocado, cotija cheese, lime, salt, and pepper
- Grilled chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing
- Chicken, berries, feta cheese, almonds or walnuts, poppyseed dressing
- Tuna fish, strawberries, avocado, lime, salt, and pepper
- Chicken or bacon, red grapes, shaved parmesan cheese, candied walnuts, white balsamic dressing
- Taco meat, beans, corn, avocado, shredded Mexican cheese blend, lime, salt, and pepper
The paper towel in the container with the prepped vegetables absorbs moisture and helps keep the lettuce fresh for longer while it is in the refrigerator.
You’ll want to store the proteins separately, so that you can are able to warm them before adding them to the cold salads.
I keep the toppings separate until I’m ready to eat each salad. I warm the proteins separately and add them right before eating and then I add whichever toppings I want at that time so that everything stays nice and fresh.
Yes. They are required. Just kidding. Of course not, but personally, I rarely skip them. The crunch and flavor they add makes every salad even better.
Salad Meal Prep
Ingredients
VEGETABLE OPTIONS
- chopped greens: typically a mix of romaine spring mix, spinach, arugula, or butter lettuce (rarely all of them, just whichever ones I have on hand at the time)
- tomatoes: sliced or chopped
- cucumber: sliced or chopped I often remove the seeds, but it isn’t required
- corn: canned frozen, or fresh
- bell peppers: sliced thin or chopped small
- red onions: sliced thin
- green onions: sliced thin
PROTEIN OPTIONS
- ground beef or ground turkey: cooked and seasoned generously with Mexican spices or taco seasoning
- taco meat with black beans and corn
- pulled pork or carnitas: shredded and chopped bite-size
- cooked or roasted chicken: shredded or diced
- ham: diced
- hard boiled eggs: chopped
- canned tuna fish: drained well
- cooked shrimp or fish
- beans: black kidney, or pinto beans
TOPPING OPTIONS
- cheese: shredded diced, or crumbled
- avocado: sliced or diced
- fruits: diced apples or pears orange slices, fresh berries
- plenty of crunch: croutons tortilla chips, or my personal favorite Fritos
- fresh lime
- salt and pepper
- salad dressing of your choice: Italian, Poppyseed, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Ranch Dressing are a few of our favorites.
Instructions
Salad Meal Prep
- Prep the vegetables and place in serving size containers. (I use these containers to store prepped salads.) Add a paper towel to each box to help the produce last longer. Place in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
When Ready to Eat
- Warm the protein of your choice and chop bite-size, if needed. Add the protein to the pre-made salad greens and vegetables.
- Add the toppings of your choice. Squeeze lime generously over the salad and sprinkle with salt and pepper, or drizzle with your favorite salad dressing.
Video
Notes
- Carnitas (or pulled pork), avocado, cotija cheese, lime, salt, and pepper
- Grilled chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing
- Chicken, berries, feta cheese, almonds or walnuts, poppyseed dressing
- Tuna fish, strawberries, avocado, lime, salt, and pepper
- Chicken or bacon, red grapes, shaved parmesan cheese, candied walnuts, white balsamic dressing
- Taco meat, beans, corn, avocado, shredded Mexican cheese blend, lime, salt, and pepper
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 1/7/17 – recipe notes and photos updated 8/26/26}
Chow main noodles are good on a salad to.
They also have crunchy jalapeno strips now…would be great on a taco or Mexican theme salad.
BC
Also, in the Asian section of the grocery store next to the chow mein noodles you can find small tins of crunchy “rice noodles”. They would be good for anyone wanting Gluten Free crunch I think.
BC
Great idea I will have to look for those 😀
Hello,
I love salads and right now I’m on a diet. Herbalife to be exact.. I guess my question is the calorie intake. Do you think this is a great meal for someone dieting or should anything be omitted?
Thank you
Most of these salad combinations with a 3-4 ounce portion of protein added are under 300 calories. (Definitely check the math yourself though and make sure the ingredients work for you!) I add 1/2 – 1 ounce of Fritos and it’s always under 400. So, for me? That’s an awesome lunch or dinner.
Yummy I add almonds with sea salt for a crunch I am DEFINITELY GOING TO TRY THESE!
Don’t the sliced tomatoes makes your lettuce soggy? Or does the paper towel prevent that?
I use grape tomatoes most of the time and I’ve never had the salad get soggy. The paper towels definitely help!
Just found your site, love it! I am going to definitely try this for this upcoming work week! I can’t wait to try the frito trick!
I was wondering if you could do something like this but vegetarian.
Sure thing. Just add whatever protein you like!
I absolutely love your photos! I try to eat salad several days a week but on those hectic days when I didn’t prep ahead of time I find myself eating whatever is left in the fridge. Not always a good idea by the way. The photos make it look attainable. Thanks for the inspiration! Saving to pinterest…now!
I’m so happy it helps! Enjoy!
Are these good for loosing weight? I noticed that there is a lot of fatty stuff like the croutons, chips, cheese, dressing
It has certainly worked for me. It’s all about how much of those “extra” items you are adding. 1/2 – 1 ounce of Fritos adds an awful lot of texture, crunch, and flavor while only adding 80-160 calories to the salad. That is absolutely worth it to me. A sprinkling of cheese and a “light” amount of dressing doesn’t add much either. Making the salads delicious and interesting to eat makes eating a salad something I can look forward to every day. Most of the salads listed and pictured here are around 300-400 calories. I hope that helps!
How are you lining them with paper towels? I’d like to see it done.
I take a paper towel and simply fold it or tuck it into the bottom of the container.
Another thing I do is buy diced grilled chicken or diced ham cooked and ready to put in salad
For crunch buy the parmesan crisps, they are good. I eat salads every day, never get tired of them!
I love parmesan crisps! I’d forgotten about them. I haven’t bought them in ages. I just put them on my grocery list again. Thanks!
Do you just pull the paper towel out before dressing the salad?
Yes, I remove the paper towel before serving.
Wonderful ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Love this! My favorite salad ever has Fritos in it 🙂
Thank you for this awesome ‘tutorial!’ I love salad, some of the time…. but, this is *hopefully* going to make me LOVE it!
Do you spray lemon juice or something on your avocados to keep them such a pretty green? These salads look amazing!
I’m so glad you like the salads! I do not spray the avocados. I add them with the proteins when we’re ready to eat the salads. The avocados won’t stay nice in the refrigerator if you add them with the vegetables to prep ahead.
Wow Nice interesting post. I Love eating..
I’ve been adding corn chips to salad for years (mainly taco-style salad) and it’s so delicious! Thanks for the other useful tips as well.
Are these good for a week’s time?
Yes, I prep all the vegetables as outlined in the recipe directions and they stay nice for 5-6 days worth of salads.
I’m inspired….I’m going to do this starting Monday, THANKS-Laura
Let me know how it goes! Happy salad eating!
I used to put Fritos on my sandwiches when I was in school! I think I could eat them with about anything. Thanks for all of these salad suggestions. I’ve been trying to find a way to eat more salads and having them all prepped ahead of time would be a great way to encourage me to actually do it!
I’m glad the recipes are helpful!