Tofu is an excellent option for beefing up a bagged salad (without any actual meat), says Geiger, but which you choose is of the utmost importance. It’s great if you have the time to fry or bake it to crispy perfection, but a marinated version tastes great served raw and diced. It’s an ideal accompaniment for Asian-style salad mixes that contain ingredients like chopped cabbage and fried wonton strips, she explains.
You’ll get about 14 grams of protein from that addition alone, but you can put it past the 15-gram mark with just one tablespoon of almond butter, too. As with the peanut butter trick, you’ll want to incorporate it into the dressing provided by the bagged salad. Mix the two together in a bowl or add them both individually to your greens and take a bit of extra time to toss to ensure everything is thoroughly incorporated.
7. Black Beans and Feta
¾ cup canned black beans + ¼ cup feta = 15.5 g protein
This combo is about to become your new favorite way to make a Southwestern-style bagged salad both tastier and more filling, says Shorenstein. In addition to over 15 grams of protein, it’s also a standout in terms of fiber and fat—you’ll get roughly 8 grams of the former and six grams of the latter.
When it comes to how to prep them, you have a couple options, and which you choose will depend on what your schedule is like. Don’t mind spending a few minutes on extra prep? Drain and rinse the beans, then season them with a mix of spices like paprika, garlic or onion powder, and cumin. Short on time? Toss them in raw and let the dressing packet take care of seasoning your salad.
Just make sure you add some carbs to any of these pairings—and don’t worry, there’s a low-effort way to do so!
When it comes to what makes a meal balanced, you can’t depend on one nutrient alone to deliver all the satisfaction. Protein does a lot, but carbohydrates are another important macro that’s often missing from bagged salads, and is equally responsible for keeping those hunger pangs at bay, says Shorenstein. But there are plenty of potential side dishes that complement a plate of greens and make sure your needs are met.
That could be something like frozen, pre-cooked rice, she says, which you can microwave while assembling your salad. When the greens are ready, the grains will be, too, and you can add them right into the mix for a grain bowl-style meal, or eat them alongside your greens if you prefer to keep them separate.
Alternatively, something that requires zero prep at all like a whole wheat pita or flatbread will do the trick—and you can stuff the salad right into your bread and eat it like a sandwich if you wish.
She’s also partial to a simple side of toasted sourdough, or even a bowl of whole-grain crackers, which you could eat separately or crush and sprinkle atop your salad for extra crunch.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that most bagged salads shouldn’t be viewed as a balanced meal in their own right—but that, with the right accompaniments, they can be a great base to build one that’s quick, easy, and, most importantly, tasty.
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