UrbanUpdate

Salads taste fantastic, especially when they’re basically fried chicken smothered in ranch dressing covered in nuts and cheese. The only problem is, you’re most likely eating a salad as a meal for the health benefits, and when you load up on fixins or throw it in a wrap, you zero out whatever health benefits there were (yes, even if you pass on the bread). So how do you make a salad that tastes good and is also healthy? We honestly had no idea, so we talked to Nicolas Jammet, co-founder and co-CEO of popular cool kid hangout and salad chain Sweetgreen for some tips.

"The biggest factor is the dressing." he told us. (That's what we were afraid of.) But for those pouring dressing over their bowls, there is hope. Jammet tells us that being aware of what's actually in the dressing is a huge factor—avoid stabilizers, added sugars, and basically anything not fresh. If you want to go the extra mile, look to simpler solutions: "Squeeze some fresh lime or fresh lemon over it, that adds a brightness and pop to the salad. A hit of acidity really balances it." Boom, dressing crisis averted.

But a salad that's just lemon juice and greens is not going to satisfy anybody. That's basically what wild animals eat. For starters, never feel obligated to one kind of lettuce. Feel free to mix up your kale with some romaine, arugula, or spinach. Then get in there with your lean (and un-breaded) proteins: eggs, salmon, chicken, and tuna. Here again, it's important to be on the lookout for non-processed meats, "It's not about calories, it's about the kind of calories," Jammet reiterated.

The next thing is to add some depth of flavor. This is where you can mess with your toppings. "For me, the two biggest things are herbs, that's automatically going to add a ton of flavor without adding a lot of calories." For that, you'd be well served by some basil, cilantro, cabbage, and the rest of the gang. If you're looking for some kick, Jammet also suggests going in with some spicy elements like sriracha, a spiced protein, or jalapeños. Just make sure you don't go overboard, you don't want to block out the rest of the flavors.

Don't be afraid of embracing fats either. Jammet is all about the healthy fat: "Always go for the avocado. Even if you get a lighter dressing, you can have some sort of fat content that's healthy and tasty." That will also make the overall thing more filling, so you're not relying solely on some leaves to get you through the day.

The final thing to consider that'll really open up your lunch is texture. While croutons are always an option, there's also a host of other "crunchies" you can throw in there. "We have spicy sunflower seeds, which we make in the store everyday, that adds some spice, nuttiness, and depth." Other things to consider sprinkling in: some almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, anything all-natural and crunchy, basically.

So there you have it, a lean, healthy, filling, and tasty-as-fuck salad. Get them greens.

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