Are you making the switch to healthier recipes? There are plenty of salad options for lunches or light snacks to replace those fast food meals. You aren’t limited to vegetable-only salads; plenty of salad recipes include protein sources for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.

For a healthy salad with enough protein to get you through the rest of the working day after lunch, try adding chicken breast to any salad recipe you currently love. To avoid extra calories or saturated fats, try using a vinaigrette dressing. You may find raspberry vinaigrette to be an excellent match for a chicken salad recipe, but red wine vinegar dressings are also tasty alternatives to the heavier Thousand Island recipes or bleu cheese options.

A vegetarian-friendly alternative salad recipe can include tofu, walnuts and almonds. The nuts add fiber and protein, and the tofu is a great match with spinach, romaine lettuce and artichoke hearts. You can also add dried fruit such as cranberries and ordinary moist fruit like mandarin oranges. The oranges do add some sugar to the recipe, so use them sparingly if you are trying to be strict about calories or the amount of sugar in each meal. It’s good to check the label on dried fruits if you are sensitive to increased sugar.

If you rely on salad recipes for lunch on a regular basis, you might get bored with some of the traditional combinations of lettuce, spinach, olive oil and vinegar. If you need a bit of kick with your salad, try adding some sliced jalapeno peppers to your favorite list of ingredients. Jalapenos add a spicy, earthy flavor to any dish, and if you want to reduce the amount of spiciness, be sure to remove the seeds before you put the sliced peppers into the mix.

For a less heat-intensive addition to your favorite salad recipe, try putting some radish or daikon root into your greens. These have unique, feisty flavors but don’t overpower the other ingredients. You can also season your salad dressing recipe with some red pepper flakes, minced garlic or crushed black pepper. If you are a tofu lover, add a unique flair to your tofu by dusting it with curry powder or Chinese five spice. You can also add a small sprinkling of crispy lo mein noodles to give your greens a nice crunch.

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