what is a healthy way to spice up a salad?

i usually have a romaine salad with fat free italian dressing.. but i am getting bored with it. i know croutons arent that healthy, what are some lower cal options to add? i dont eat meat much, otherwise i would add chicken... any tips? thanks!

raisins? nuts? fat free cottage cheese? even dried fruit?

Whatever you like. Really, its just about your preference and what combination of things you like.

salsa, chopped up apple, sliced strawberries, carrots

I like a tart dressing. I make a sherry-shallot vinaigrette that is really yummy. I put it over spinach with chopped up egg whites, toasted almonds, mushrooms, sweet onions, shaved parmesan and crumbled lowfat bacon.

I am a bit weird like that, but I often season my salads with a bit of light soy sauce. I also make my own salad dressing with a mixture of soy sauce, oil and mustard.

DO IT THE POLISH WAY!!!!!!! With sour cream... light or nonfat if ya like. Oh and and plain yogurt, same thing, AWESOME.

HUMMUS! Love that stuff. :D

salads are great! I usually top with red/orange/yellow peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, chick peas (garbanzo beans), red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, carrot, celery etc. and usually put hard boiled egg whites if there made or grilled chicken/poached fish or canned tuna is great! also some avocado is good especially with nice warm chicken!

Soy Sauce + dijorn mustard+black pepper

Olive oil mixed with lemon juice, sprinkle on top, then drissle reduced Balsamic Vinegar.

UD

I love salad--I eat it almost every day, so I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve to keep things interesting.  Here are some ideas:

-Fresh herbs.  This works best if you have a window box or backyard garden.  Just take a few leaves and sprinkle them in your salad.  Dill, tarragon, basil, flat-leaf parsley, and cilantro all work well.

-Scallions or shallots.  They're milder than regular onion, but make the salad more interesting.

-Different kinds of greens.  You can find bags of mesclun (mixed baby greens) at the supermarket, though I prefer to get greens from the farmers' market in season, because they often add some leaves that are a little more bitter or spicy.  Endive, radicchio, and frisée also make a nice combination on their own, or added to other greens--even plain ol' romaine.

-Fruit.  In the winter, I LOVE pomegranate seeds in my salad, which are, of course, super-healthy.  Dried raisins, cranberries, or cherries can be nice as well.  Cut-up fresh apples, pears, or even strawberries can be nice, too.

-Avocado.  Not super low-cal, but full of healthy fats.  In the same category is nuts. I particularly like toasted pecans or pine nuts on my salad.

-Ground flax seed.  Buy whole flax seeds at a good supermarket or health-food store, put them in a pepper grinder, and grind over your salad.  It's an easy way to get a small dose of omega-3's.

-Cheese.  Again, not super low-cal, but if you want your salad to be more of a full meal rather than a side, it makes the salad more satisfying.  Experiment with different kinds that you find at the grocery store.  If you live near a specialty shop like Murray's Cheese in NYC, you can find some really delicious and interesting cheeses that would be great on salad, and the staff can usually make good recommendations. 

I also find that making my own salad dressing makes a big difference.  I make enough for a bunch of salads, and keep the extra in a jar in the fridge, where it will keep for a few weeks.  They're not fat-free, but they use healthy oils.  I usually add just a tablespoon or two and make sure the greens are well-tossed so that I don't have to use gobs of dressing.  Here are some ones to try (all amounts are approximate, because I usually just eyeball it):

-Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette: 1-2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/4-1/2 c balsamic vinegar, 1 c extra-virgin olive oil, plus finely-chopped garlic or shallots if you wish

-Asian(ish) Sesame Dressing: 1/4 c soy sauce, 1/4 c rice wine vinegar, 1/2 c olive or canola oil, 1-2 Tbsp sesame oil.  Toasted sesame seeds are also a nice addition to this one.

-Mild Champagne Vinaigrette: 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/4-1/2 c Champagne vinegar, 1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil, 2/3 c walnut oil (if walnut is too expensive, substitute another mild oil)

-Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette (slightly more complicated, but delicious): Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place 4-6 peeled whole shallots (adding a few cloves of garlic is nice, too) on a baking sheet coated in a little olive oil.  Roast until soft all the way through, 30 or more minutes.  Then purée the shallots with 1/4-1/2 c balsamic or white wine vinegar.  Add 1 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.

I hope this is helpful!

mmm, i like the shallots instead of onion idea as often dont need an entire onion for my salad. and the soy, oil & mustard dressing sounds interesting.

My Favorite?  Sun-dried tomatoes!  That extra chew is very satisfying. (Of course I don't mean the ones packed in oil)

Goat cheese. Blackberries, mango and strawberries are all great in spinach salads.

wow! these are all great ideas, and i thought salads were plain and boring!

thanks guys!

Beans too!

How bout the old fashion way,

romaine, boston, and ice berg, all---radichio--shaved carrots, sliced cucumber, and black olives, if you like them---(plain, pitted, open up a can, in water, keeps well in fridge for days!)

Dressing---wine based red vinegar, (look in the vinegar isles of your grocers)--olive oil, salt, black pepper, oregano, and a squeeze of preferably lime, or lemon,--- put in a jar, shake, and pour over, stir well...and enjoy...us italians, Like it simple.....

Got OTHER ideas......for vegetarian...see  i don't much like meat either....

i second goat cheese, especially warmed on the grill.

nuts, cilantro, hard-boiled egg, etc.

but for me a salad isn't a meal unless it has some meat protein.  some taco-spiced ground beef or chicken, or some canned or leftover fish makes all the difference for me.

We sometimes put grapes, and granny smith apples in salads quite often.  Shredded jicama and daikon radish are nice too.  If you don't want meat, how about kidney beans? 

My favorite salad is asian-style - soy sauce and sesame oil

I love roasted/slightly cooled vegetables on salads- eggplant chunks, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, asparagus.

Steamed broccoli and cauliflower is good too!

Pineapple chunks taste great, as do mandarin segments and dried fruit.

Cottage cheese, red onion, raisins and fat free thousand island dressing sounds weird (!) but is amazing.

I adore salads... here are some of my most favorite toppings:

- Grilled Vegetables of ALL KINDS (the best part is since they are grilled with olive oil, you don't need a dressing because there is enough oil from the veggies to be the "dressing")

- Grape Tomatoes

- Bell Peppers

- Asparagus

- Hard Boiled Eggs

- Red Onion

- Green Beans

- Mushrooms of all types

- Garlic Roasted Green Beans

- Artichoke Hearts

- Olives

- Capers

- Cauliflower

- Broccoli 

- Cabbage (red & green)

- Diakon Radish 

- Spaghetti Squash

- Salmon, Sardines, Tuna, Mackerel, Trout, Anchovies, Chicken &/or Turkey Breast 

- Spinach, Butter Lettuce

- Cucumbers 

- Celery 

**BY FAR my favorite combo is = Olive Oil, Hard Boiled Egg, Spinach Leaves, Anchovies, Sliced Red Onion, Olives & a bit of Tuna Belly!