Restaurant shutdowns have been one of the most challenging aspects of the pandemic. This is true for owners and employees as well as patrons. If you don’t have the option of going out, you can at least attempt to recreate certain experiences at home. Building your own salad bar is a great place to begin.

During stressful times, it’s vital to maintain a healthy diet. If you have the ingredients on hand for a full-fledged salad bar—complete with protein options—you’ll be more likely to make the right dietary choices. In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the steps for creating a healthy salad bar at home.

Collecting the Ingredients

Greens

Leafy greens are the ideal base ingredient for a healthy salad. Branch out from the tired iceberg lettuce routine and stock up on some nutritional powerhouses like spinach, Swiss chard, and kale.

Romaine is another classic salad ingredient, and one that delivers plenty of satisfying crunch. Dandelion greens have an earthy, slightly bitter flavor profile that pairs well with acidic dressings (see below).

For a salad that’s as fun to look at as it is to eat, add frisee to the lineup. This fern-like green tastes slightly peppery and is great in salads that contain hard-boiled or poached eggs.

Protein

Make your salad into a main course by adding grilled chicken, salmon, or another type of wild fish. Vegetarians might want to include a sprinkling of chopped hard-boiled eggs and a handful of toasted nuts.

Try to steer clear of fatty meats like steak and ground beef. The occasional taco salad might taste delicious, but it contains a great deal of saturated fat. It also invites other unhealthy ingredients, like sour cream and shredded cheese.

Veggies and Fruits

Ingredients like cucumber, tomato, thinly sliced red onion, and shredded carrots all make splendid and colorful additions to a salad bar. Try taking things a step further with raw broccoli florets, sliced bell peppers, celery, mushrooms, and chopped roasted beets.

Fresh or dried fruit makes another appealing addition, especially when combined with nuts. You can experiment with combinations of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, orange segments, or apple slices. Oranges taste wonderful on a salad of mixed greens with grilled chicken. Make sure the dressing contains hints of citrus to bring out the flavor.

Nuts

Raw or toasted nuts add an intriguing texture and an extra hit of protein to a salad. Be sure to select nuts that don’t have any excess salt or preservatives added.

Walnuts, pecans, and pine nuts are all good choices, and taste wonderful when they’ve been toasted for about 5 minutes in a medium-hot skillet. If you do this yourself, make sure to shake the pan frequently to keep the nuts from burning.

Dressing it Up

You can keep the dressing simple by whisking olive oil into a small measure of balsamic vinegar and seasoning the mixture with salt and pepper. It’s also possible to do this with red wine and apple cider vinegar.

Should you opt for store-bought dressings, stick to healthier options like Gazebo Room Lite Greek or Annie’s Lite Raspberry Dressing. Avoid heavy mayo-based dressings, such as ranch and blue cheese. They’ll weigh down your greens and negate the health benefits of eating a salad in the first place.

Assembling the Perfect Salad Bar

When you’re putting together your home salad bar, keep all the ingredient categories in one place. For example, the greens should all be kept side by side in separate containers.

It’s also helpful to put the greens in a convenient starting location, with the add-ons following in a natural progression. Veggies and fruits should come next, followed by the protein options. Salad dressings and optional add-ons like nuts can be grouped together at the end.

If you want to have the option of tossing your salad with the dressing before you sit down, place a large bowl and a set of tongs at the end of the line. You can also use two oversized wooden spoons instead of tongs.

Necessary Items

To turn your kitchen or dining room into an appealing salad bar, you’ll need all the right tools and utensils.

To begin, invest in the Elegant Events salad serving container from the ImpiriLux Store. This set includes five separate compartments, each one capable of holding over two cups of ingredients apiece. The lower section can be filled with ice to keep ingredients fresh, and the set includes three serving spoons and three sets of tongs. There’s also a hinged lid that makes the set easier to transport once it’s been filled.

Next, think about your serving bowls. AIDEA makes an attractive set of four salad bowls made of acacia wood. They measure seven inches in diameter, so they’re large enough to hold a generous amount of toppings. The bowls have also been treated by food-grade oil to create a waterproof surface, but note that they aren’t dishwasher safe.

For the dressings, take a look at the 2-ounce mini pitchers from the R&M International Store. They’re sold in sets of six, allowing you to present multiple dressing options. In the morning, you can use the pitchers to hold cream for your coffee or syrup for pancakes.

In Conclusion

Once you have all the ingredients and utensils you need, you’re ready to create a healthy and delicious salad bar right under your own roof.