Navigating the Dining Commons' Salad Bars

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

By Maggie Green, UGA Dining Nutrition Marketing Intern and 3rd year Dietetics Major

Salads can be an amazing and delicious way to get all the macronutrients and micronutrients your body needs on one plate to fuel your body. They can also easily be made dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian depending on which toppings you choose. But approaching a salad bar with so many options can be overwhelming. Picking toppings from each food group that complement each other is actually much easier with some practice. Making a great salad comes down to a tried and true formula that you can customize to fit your taste buds!

Here are the steps to creating a healthy and tasty personalized salad from ingredients in the dining halls’ salad bar broken down:

1. Start with the Base

The dining halls usually offer more than one base including:

• Spring Mix
  • These dark leafy greens are abundant in beta carotene, antioxidants, as well as several vitamins such as Vitamin K, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. They serve as a nutrient-dense base that is simple and delicious.
• Romaine Lettuce
  • Romaine also offers many minerals and has a high water content to help keep you hydrated. The crunchiness of romaine is perfect if you like creamy dressings on top. It is less flavorful than spring mix and will let the other toppings shine.

2. Add Produce

A good rule of thumb is to choose at least 3 veggie toppings!

• Carrots
  • Great source of beta carotene and adds essential crunch to salads.
• Tomatoes
  • Cherry tomatoes add tons of flavor and texture to salads. They also contain the antioxidant lycopene to protect your body from damage. TIP: Cut them up into bite-size pieces to make sure you get some in every bite.
• Cucumber
  • An essential salad vegetable that adds freshness and will complement any salad dressing you choose. The high water content of cucumbers is great for your hydration.
• Bell pepper
  • Bell peppers are an underrated source of Vitamin C and often have more than an orange! They add great color and flavor to salads with vinegar-based dressings.
• Red onion
  • Some people love red onions while others can’t stand them. Regardless, there is no denying they add a strong and sharp crunch of flavor to any salad. They also have antioxidants that reduce your risk of cancer.
• Broccoli
  • This cruciferous vegetable brings micronutrients like fiber, iron, and calcium to your salad along with a great crunch.
• Banana peppers
  • Often used on Greek salads, banana peppers offer a zesty tang that pairs great with other mild veggies, like cucumber, and vinegar-based dressings.
• Mushrooms
  • Some locations do not offer mushrooms, but if you can find them, mushrooms add a hearty umami flavor to enhance your salad. Mushrooms also are one of the few food sources of vitamin D.

3. Filling Protein & Fats

These are the key ingredients to leaving you full and satisfied after a salad.

• Hard-Boiled Eggs
  • Eggs are packed with protein to help keep you fuller longer. Scattered throughout a salad they offer a great texture and flavor with creamy dressings.
• Tofu and Edamame
  • Tofu is offered at Bolton and Edamame is offered at the Village Summit.  Meatless salads are just as delicious and filling as those with meat. Tofu and edamame are a great sources of protein and their mellow flavor goes well with other veggie toppings and all dressings.
• Chicken
  • A staple to all kinds of salad with pretty much any toppings or dressings. Chicken is a lean protein that makes any type of salad more nutrient-dense. If available, chicken and bacon bits are a popular combination.
• Beans
  • Beans are high in fiber and protein and will provide density to salads whether it's black beans or garbanzo beans. Light dressings taste best with beans.  Ogelthorpe features chickpeas and all dining commons have a bean-of-the-day on their hotlines.
• Hummus
  • Adding hummus from the deli line to your salads boosts the protein content and gives you a heart healthy fat source.  Hummus can be used as a creamy dressing for your salad that is dairy-free. Just add a little olive oil and vinegar and mix with the hummus to make this delicious dressing which keep the saturated fat and sodium contents low.

Different cheeses accomplish different flavors

• Feta Cheese
  • More on the salty side and will pair well with savory vegetables that are blander in taste, like broccoli and cucumber.
• Parmesan Cheese
  • Great with the chicken, croutons, and Caesar dressing for a simple Caesar salad or Italian zest.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • A classic option that easily fits into almost any topping and dressing combination.

4. Crunch & Taste Boosters

Crunch is often overlooked, but is essential to a tasty salad! Many of the vegetables mentioned before adding a nice crunch as well.

• Croutons
  • Croutons and other grains are an easy way to add crunch and heartiness to your salad without an overpowering flavor.
• Craisins
  • Dried fruit packs the nutrients of whole fruits into a smaller package making it perfect for a sweet salad topping. 1/4 cup of craisins contains nearly double the fiber of 1/4 cup of whole cranberries. They go well with spring mix, garbanzo beans, and broccoli under Italian or honey mustard dressings.
• Olives
  • Some dining commons offer olives. Whether black or green, they add a salty and savory flavor. Olives also contain healthy fats to make your salad a complete meal.
• Nuts and Seeds
  • Almost any nut or seed can be used to add healthy unsaturated fats and crunch to salads.

5. Dressings

Dressings can be categorized into two kinds: Creamy and Vinaigrette

Creamy Dressing are usually dairy-based and are thicker than vinaigrettes

• Ranch
  • Just as you like to dip vegetables and wings in it, ranch makes a creamy and flavorful dressing that tastes great with crunchy produce like broccoli, carrots, and cucumber.
• Blue cheese
  • Delicious on top of chicken salads with crunchy bases, like romaine. Blue cheese dressing has a more sharp and pungent taste than other creamy dressings.
• 1000 Island
  • 1000 Island is mayonnaise-based making it thick and sweet tasting.
• Caesar
  • Great over tougher greens, like romaine, for a thick and creamy topping.

Vinaigrettes are emulsions of oil and vinegar flavored with herbs and spices

• Balsamic Vinegar
  • Packs a nice acidic punch to a salad with fresh produce.
• Italian
  • Adds a zesty, tangy, and sweet flavor that goes well poured over savory ingredients and crunch vegetables.
• Oil and Vinegar (NEW at select locations)
  • These are great if you want the toppings to be the star of the salad and are wanting a more toned-down dressing without overpowering flavors. These cups are also lower in sodium and sugar than many of the other prepackaged salad dressings.
• Honey Mustard
  • A sweet flavor that pairs well with both meats and greens.

For an extra kick, add hot sauce to these light dressings.

Some extra tips to elevate your salads

• • Add black pepper to your salads increases some of the flavor.
  • Cutting your salad into bite-size pieces ensures you get every flavor in each bite
  • Adding other ingredients like fruits or grains from other stations will bring your salad to the next level. For example, adding chewy dried cranberries to your salad along with the lentils and roasted sweet potatoes often found at other stations make for a great combination!

See more blog posts here.