22 High-Protein Salads for Healthy Weight Loss
A colorful salad makes for a delicious meal, whether you’re enjoying it as a main meal or a side dish. These salad recipes are packed with protein, with at least 15 grams in every serving, which provides health benefits like keeping you energized and supporting muscle repair and growth. And since they’re lower in calories and higher in fiber, they can also help support healthy weight loss if that’s your goal. You’ll love options like our Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad and Anti-Inflammatory Farro & White Bean Salad, which are satifysing and full of flavor.
Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This squash lentil salad packs 14 grams of fiber and features plenty of kale, a powerful prebiotic that helps set the stage for a healthy gut. This salad can be assembled in a Mason jar so you can prep it the night before for a healthy, grab-and-go lunch the next day.
Anti-Inflammatory Farro & White Bean Salad
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This colorful salad layers together farro, bell pepper, beets and arugula, all of which offer fiber and antioxidants that can help lower inflammation in your body. White beans add some plant-based protein to help you stay satisfied throughout the afternoon.
Chicken & Cabbage Salad with Nuoc Cham Dressing
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Best known as a Vietnamese dipping sauce, nước chấm typically combines sugar, lime juice and fish sauce, striking the perfect balance between sweet, sour and salty. Here it ties together crunchy vegetables, tons of fresh herbs and cooked chicken breast for a refreshing chicken salad.
Salmon Caesar Salad
This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.
Peanut Zucchini Noodle Salad with Chicken
You’ll end up with more peanut sauce than you need in this zucchini noodle recipe, and that’s a good thing! It makes a great dip or stir-fry sauce.
Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower “Rice” Tabbouleh
Chicken breasts on the grill have a smoky flavor that’s enhanced with an easy spice rub. We chose flat-leaf parsley in this salad because it has a stronger herbal taste than its sometimes-bitter curly counterpart.
Chickpea Salad with Broccoli & Golden Milk-Poached Chicken
Poaching chicken in turmeric-infused milk for this healthy salad recipe yields tender results with a golden hue.
Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad
One of our most popular salad recipes, Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts, gets a makeover in these simple yet totally satisfying meal-prep spinach salad bowls.
Salmon with Curried Yogurt & Cucumber Salad
Three ingredients you probably already have on hand–curry powder, yogurt and lemon juice–meld into a mouthwatering sauce that transforms simple grilled salmon. This healthy and easy dinner recipe comes together in just 20 minutes.
Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
Ali Redmond
Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.
Chicken & Cabbage Salad Bowls with Sesame Dressing
A bag of prechopped red and green cabbage serves as the crunchy low-carb base in these chicken salad bowls, which only require 10 minutes to assemble. Top with sesame-flavored almonds and a sesame dressing and you have one irresistible lunch you’ll look forward to all week.
Arugula Salad with Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Pears & Blue Cheese
Toasted walnuts and roasted pork tenderloin make this elegant salad worthy of company, yet it’s easy enough to prepare on a weeknight!
Soy-Lime Beef & Cabbage Salad
Using ready-made slaw mix in this crunchy salad cuts down on prep time. And because it uses lean ground beef, this savory main dish is full of iron and B-vitamins.
Cabbage, Tofu & Edamame Salad
Craving crunch? Bite into this salad loaded with crisp red cabbage, edamame, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles. This salad is slightly sweetened with baked tofu, mandarin oranges and sesame vinaigrette.
Strawberry-Balsamic Arugula Salad
This fruity green salad with chicken offers an explosion of flavors in each bite. The taste of sweet strawberries, peppery arugula and tangy feta cheese is enhanced by the intense balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Crunchy Chicken & Mango Salad
This dinner salad has terrific crunch, thanks to sugar snap peas and napa cabbage. Give the dressing a kick of heat by adding a bit of sambal oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce that you can find in most large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.
Tuna, White Bean & Dill Salad
Take canned tuna to new heights by adding creamy cannellini beans, fresh dill and a tangy Dijon dressing.
Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chicken
Toss the cooked chicken into this healthy salad while it’s still warm to lightly wilt the kale, making it softer and easier to eat. Using store-bought salad dressing saves time, but you could also make your own tangy vinaigrette.
Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad with Chicken
Ali Redmond
In this healthy copycat of a takeout salad favorite we combine precooked (or leftover) chicken and poppy seed dressing with fresh greens, strawberries and goat cheese for an easy throw-together meal that’s ready in 10 minutes.
Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
Salmon Salad with Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Incorporating salmon into salads adds a good source of protein and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. This quick-and-easy salad is perfect for a lunch or dinner and is sure to leave you feeling full and satisfied.
Tex-Mex Salad
Loaded with fiber-filled beans, sweet corn, crunchy sweet pepper, smooth avocado, and spicy pico de gallo, this bold salad will satisfy your taste buds and appetite.
