Healthy Salad Formula - Shredded Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad

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Making a good hearty dinner salad is a great way to eat light yet still get a good filling meal.  A lot of times salad have a lot of hidden ingredients that can make it full of calories if you aren't careful. 

So how do we make it worthy of dinner and still keep it healthy?  I'll show you.

THE BEST HEALTHY SALAD FORMULA

This formula is a great base recipe to ensure that you get a satisfying mix of leafy green and add-ins without going overboard with the carbs or the calories. 

So let's talk about this formula.  This mix of greens, produce, some grains or starch, plus lean protein will give you that hearty salad that you crave.  Then you get to put in some treats like cheese, garnish and a nice small portion of dressing to top it off.

I've gone ahead and given you some handy examples of each of the components so you can mix and match and make artistic salads of your own.  

Salad greens = 3 cups
Escarole
Baby Kale
Bibb Lettuce
Red Leaf Lettuce
Romaine
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix

Other Produce = 1/2 cup, non-starchy, cooked or raw
Bell Peppers
Carrots
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Mushrooms
Radishes
Snap peas
Tomatoes

Grains or Starch - 1/2 cup

Bulgur

Whole-wheat couscous

Farro

Baby Potatoes

Quinoa

Winter squash

Corn

Sweet Potatoes

Lean Protein = 3 oz.
Chicken breast
Chickpeas

Hard-boiled eggs

Pork Tenderloin

Shrimp 

Salmon

Flank Steak

Tofu

Cheese = 1/2 oz.

Blue Cheese

Cheddar

Feta

Goat Cheese

Monterey Jack

Moaazrella

Parmesan

Garnish = 1/2 oz.

Avocado

Almonds

Pecans

Sunflower Seeds

Dried Apricots

Dried Cranberries

Capers

Croutons

Olives

Salami or ham

Walnuts

Dressing = 2 Tbsp., Olive-oil based

Balsamic vinaigrette

Lemon vinaigrette

Red-wine vinaigrette

So what do we do with all of this?  Let's make a salad!  I made a wonderfully crisp and light salad bursting with fall flavors.  Perfect for a light dinner with some crusty bread this salad features shredded chicken for the protein along with sweet potatoes for the starch.  I included apples for the other produce and delicious buttery avocado and pepitas as a garnish, as well as a little sharp cheddar cheese.  All topped with a lip-smacking good apple cider vinaigrette.  YUM!  This really tops the list for my favorite salad thus far this fall season.

Enjoy the recipe below which is a base recipe for 1 serving.  Increase the ingredients as necessary to serve additional people.  Now go make some great salads and let me know what you come up with!

Shredded Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad

1 serving

3 cups torn butter lettuce

1/2 cup cooked diced sweet potato

3 oz shredded cooked chicken

1/4 cup sliced apple (I used pink lady)

1/4 cup chopped avocado

2 Tbsp unsalted pepitas

1/2 oz. cubed cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/8 tsp each, salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

To make the vinaigrette: In a bowl, whisk 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar with ⅛ tsp. each salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil until blended. Extra dressing will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

In a large bowl add all salad ingredients and toss with 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinaigrette.  Serve immediately.