Have you ever wondered how to build a salad to make it more filling?  Does creating a salad sound like “boring food” that you only reserve for weekday lunches.  Well, I’ve created a boring-proof power salad recipe builder and grocery list on how to create a salad that will fill you up.  

If you…

Want to eat healthy, don’t have a lot of time to cook in the evenings, and need a simple process to put it all together.  This post is for you.

After a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is spend all night cooking.  You want to eat something that will fill you up, you want food that is fresh, and darn it, you want it to taste great.  Is that asking too much? Not at all.  

Let me show you how to build a healthy, fresh, and fast power salad to keep the “hungries” at bay, while giving you the fuel you need.  

How to construct a power salad recipe that fills you up. The easy, fast, efficient way to eat on a weeknight, to stay healthy and slim.

I’ll break down the steps for the power salad recipes below.  

BONUS:  Included at the bottom of this post is a cheat sheet I’ve created for you with all the ingredients I use to make power salads.  Print out or copy/paste the list into your iPhone notes.

Power Salad Recipe Guide

Step 1

Choose your greens for the base. I like arugula and kale most of the time. For a full list, download the salad builder at the bottom of this post.

Step 2

Add raw veggies.  I like to slice my raw veggies or just buy shredded.  Something about making them smaller is more enjoyable in the salad.  Slicing is something I reserve for when I’m constructing my power salad.  Meaning, don’t slice ahead of time because raw veggies tend to dry out.

Step 3

Add roasted veggies.  To make things efficient during the workweek, batch cook/roast your veggies one day (usually Sunday) to have on hand.  You can simply heat them up during the week when you want them for your power salad recipe. For example, I wash and cook my sweet potatoes whole in the oven for 40 minutes at 400 degrees or air fry them into “fries.”  Then, during the week, I slice and pan sear in my cast iron before throwing in my salad.  

Step 4

No power salad recipe is complete without a complex carbohydrate.  Sweet potatoes are my forever favorite in my nightly power salads. They add a sweetness, if pan roasted in a teaspoon or two of coconut oil. The outside of the potato gets slightly caramelized which is basically like candy.  Mmmm.

By this point my salad might look something like this ↓

Step 5

Pick a protein.  The best protein sources are from lean meat or fish.  If you want to lose weight, protein is your best friend.  Lean protein = lean bodies.

Each person will require a different amount of protein so ensure you are weighing your food, using a food tracker to count your macros daily, or have a solid understanding of what your body requires based on your fitness goals.

Chicken breast, ground chicken or turkey, lean ground beef, shrimp, or ahi tuna are my favorites.  For my full list, download the Power Salad Builder and Grocery List below.  

For a great chicken breast recipe that goes with all power salads, check out this dry rub chicken breast recipe.

Step 6

Add fruit (totally optional).  Some power salad recipes might call for a little something sweet.  If the sweet potato idea above doesn’t suit your recipe, adding a little fruit might be just the thing to give balance and flavor to your dish.  

Some yummy combos I like are apple, avocado, bacon and chicken or blueberry, quinoa, goat cheese, and chicken.

Step 7

Now for the best part… fat, dressings, and toppers.  Fats round out a salad and bring out the flavors of all the other ingredients.  A salad without healthy fats (extra virgin olive oil “evoo,” avocado, or homemade dressing for example) can be low on the taste scale.  Not including fat may also lead to feeling hungrier sooner.    

Keep your salad toppers simple with clean ingredients.  For most of my power salad recipes I choose a blood orange infused evoo drizzle I get at the local farmer’s market.  5-10 ml drizzled on the salad does the trick. Then, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice, add salt and fresh ground pepper to complete your salad.  

Easy dressing:  Juice from one lemon, 2 tbsp evoo, 1/2 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper.  Shake.  

Get the Power Salad Recipe Tools

A large salad bowl is a hot commodity for power salads.  I love this one and this one at Crate and Barrel.

↓↓↓↓↓ Plus these tools ↓↓↓↓↓

Don’t forget to grab your power salad recipe builder!

Follow the steps to build your own with your favorite foods. There is no wrong way here. This list can double as a grocery list too! Simply print out or copy/paste to your iPhone notes. Instructions in PDF.

↓↓↓↓↓ GRAB THIS LIST ↓↓↓↓↓

-Shay