5 Fast and Healthy Plant-based Salad Recipes

It’s pretty easy for our diets to go off the rails during the holidays. Aside from packing on a few extra pounds that can take months to lose, overindulging can actually cause some menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbance to get worse. One time-tested approach that always works for us is moderation: balancing bigger, richer meals with lighter plant-based options.

To help inspire you, we’ve curated five of our favorite, nutrition-packed healthy plant-based recipes. Each one is quick to make and perfect for toting to work. We even included tips on easy additions that will turn the dish into a full meal. If you have food intolerances, you can make simple adjustments, like omitting the breadcrumbs if you are gluten-free or cheese if you are dairy-free. Feel free to experiment and make the recipe your own!

1 – Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts

At only 38 calories a cup, brussels sprouts are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. They have many health benefits, from improving immune system health to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and even helping protect against certain cancers. This recipe from Bon Appétit could not be easier and is made healthier and more satisfying with the addition of crunchy walnuts. Add rotisserie chicken or salmon for a delicious complete meal.

2 – Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata Bread Crumbs

We love any dish that tastes as good at room temperature as it does hot. That’s why we love this perfect simple roasted cauliflower recipe using panko (Japanese bread crumbs), parsley, lemons, and garlic from The Thin Chef. This cruciferous vegetable boasts nine nutrients as well as fiber and antioxidants. It’s also an amazing low-carb alternative to grains and legumes. Try pairing it with warm lentils and hummus for a complete protein-packed vegetarian meal. Delish!

3 – Fresh Herbed Avocado Salad

Avocados are a super-food and one of the best things you can eat for brain health. Loaded with nutrients and fiber, one study even showed that people who eat avocados tend to be healthier. If you’re looking for a zesty alternative to guacamole or avocado toast, COOKIE+Kate has created an amazingly simple healthy salad recipe with avocados as the star ingredient. Filled with crunchy pepitas, jalapeno, radish, green onion, and fresh herbs, this is a complete meal in itself. For an added dash of protein, top with rotisserie chicken, salmon, tuna, white beans, or chickpeas!

4 – Chard Salad with Garlic Breadcrumbs and Parmesan

Swiss Chard may rank low in popularity, but as an excellent source of vitamins A, K, C, and Magnesium, this powerhouse is one of our favorite dark leafy greens. This recipe from Food52 mixes Swiss Chard with coarse garlic breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and a lemon dressing. We love topping the salad with canned wild sardines, which are loaded with healthy Omega 3’s (Trader Joe’s offers a version packed in olive oil that is fabulous and cheap). A poached egg on top is pretty great too. While you’re at it, add lentils, farro, or another grain, and this becomes a heartier meal! If you can’t find Swiss Chard in your grocery store or farmer’s market, substitute fresh spinach leaves or kale.

5 – Winter Salad with Kale, Pomegranate, and Balsamic Dressing

We still haven’t tired of kale, a star superfood. This recipe from A Tasty Love Story is perfect. Bright and crunchy, it’s filled with seasonal goodies, which hit all the right notes with us. Feel free to play around with the fruit and nut combinations to mix it up a little. Like the other recipes, rotisserie chicken tastes excellent on top. If you are tired of chicken, pork tenderloin is quick and easy for every day or fancy enough for company. Farro goes well with the dish if you want to make it a meatless entree.

We hope you love these healthy plant-based recipes as much as we do. For more information and support around your menopause journey, as well as ideas for improving your nutritional well-being and symptom relief,  download Midday from the App Store or visit us at Midday.Health.