More often than not, the first thing that may come to mind when you consider “salad for lunch” is iceberg lettuce and excessively firm tomatoes … and a trip to a fast food drive-thru or the vending machine in the driver’s lounge an hour later.
But, there are alternatives. Lots of them.
It’s possible to have “just a salad” for lunch and still eat well.It’s possible to have a salad for lunch every day of the week without feeling deprived. Here are a handful of salad recipes, most of which can be made in advance and kept cool or easily whipped up in your bunk/kitchen.
BLT Chopped Salad
Few combinations are as iconic — and tasty — as bacon, lettuce and tomato. Eating one of those sandwiches for lunch every day may seem like the best culinary idea in a long time, but after a while you might not still fit in the cab of your truck. So, take those flavors, add a few more and you have a BLT salad. Get the recipe.
Alyson’s Broccoli Salad
This is proof that you can eat well, healthfully and simply all at the same time. Even the dressing is easy to prepare. But, this salad loaded with flavor, and most of it can be made ahead so you don’t waste a lot of your precious down time preparing it. Get the recipe.
Spinach Strawberry Salad
No, this is not a dessert salad. In fact, it’s a solid lunch put together quickly. About the only tough part is toasting the pecans, something many might consider an option. The red wine vinegar plays nicely off the sweetness of the strawberries. Get the recipe.
Harvest Cobb Salad
It’s hardly fair or accurate to call this a salad. It’s a meal in and of itself. The base is a classic Cobb salad and then it takes off and gets even better. There’s bacon, eggs, cheese, lettuce, three different fruits and nuts all bathed in a thick dressing. Get the recipe.
Chicken Fiesta Salad
This takes a little more work than most of these salads, but it’s worth it. It has many of the great flavors from south of the border with a little more refinement. Get the recipe.
Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese and Walnut Salad
Roasted beets, goat cheese (a.k.a. feta) and walnuts. The name of this salad is says it all. Add the greens of your choice (this British recipe calls for rocket leaves) and a simple dressing and you have a filling lunch. Get the recipe.
Taco Salad
Forget about the taco salads you’ve had at Taco Bell, Moe’s or even your local Tex-Mex place. What makes this an especially different is the use of Mexican chorizo sausage. Get the recipe.
