Tasty Salad Recipes You Won’t Be Able To Resist
Bored of the same old soggy sandwiches for lunch? You’re not the only one!
What with the rise in temperatures and glowing sunshine, sometimes you want a bit more from your midday meal than a mundane sarnie - and let’s be honest, who can blame you?
Well we’re here to serve you with some fresh packed lunch ideas that won’t make you consider skipping lunch yet again.
Packed full of flavour and colour, salads are a summertime staple for sure and just because they’re healthy, doesn’t mean they have to be boring. In fact, there’s so much more to salads than leafy greens. Think potato salads, feta salads and pasta salads.
Whatever tickles your taste buds, we’ve got tons of salad ideas that will make you the envy of all your colleagues.
1. AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD
WHAT YOU NEED (SERVES 1):
- 2 medium cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
- 65g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen)
- ¼ red onion, diced
- 130g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
- 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to season
METHOD:
- Add the chicken, avocado, onion, sweetcorn, tomatoes and coriander to a large bowl.
- Drizzle with the lime or lemon juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Toss gently until all the ingredients are combined.
2. SALMON SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING
WHAT YOU NEED (SERVES 1):
FOR THE SALAD:
- 125g new potatoes, sliced
- 130g French beans, trimmed
- 1 salmon fillet
- 40g salad leaves
- 2 small clementines, 3 sliced, 1 juiced
- Handful of freshly chopped basil
- Handful of freshly chopped coriander
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ¼ lemon juiced
- ½ red chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped onion
METHOD:
- Steam the potatoes and beans in a steamer set over a pan of boiling water for 8 minutes. Place the salmon fillet on top and steam for a further 6 to 8 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork.
- Meanwhile, mix the dressing ingredients together along with the clementine juice.
- If eating immediately, place the salad leaves onto a plate and top with the warm potatoes and beans and the clementine slices. Arrange the salmon fillet on top, scatter over the herbs and spoon over the dressing.
If taking to work, prepare the potatoes, beans and salmon the night before and pack into an airtight container with the salad leaves kept separate. Put the salad ingredients together and dress just before eating to prevent the leaves from wilting.
3. ROASTED NEW POTATO, KALE AND FETA SALAD WITH AVOCADO
WHAT YOU NEED (SERVES 1):
- 100g Jersey Royal potatoes, halved
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ½ banana shallot, chopped
- 100g kale
- ½ avocado, peeled and pitted
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 25g feta, crumbled
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- ½ tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
METHOD:
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/gas mark 6. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until mostly tender, drain and leave to steam dry. Toss the potatoes in a large roasting tin with the garlic, drizzle over ½ tbsp oil and season. Roast for 20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are roasting, squeeze half the lemon juice over the shallot and half of the kale, season and massage gently to soften the kale.
- Remove the garlic clove from the oven. Put the rest of the kale on top of the potatoes, drizzle over a little oil, season and return to the oven for 5 minutes until crisp.
- Meanwhile, blitz the avocado, mustard, remaining oil and lemon juice together. Add enough water to create a smooth dressing and season to taste.
- Mix the potatoes and cooked kale into the raw kale salad and tip onto a plate. Drizzle over the dressing and top with the feta, chilli flakes and pumpkin seeds.
4. HALLOUMI, CARROT AND ORANGE SALAD
WHAT YOU NEED (SERVES 2):
- 1 large orange
- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tbsp rapeseed or olive oil, plus extra for frying
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 110g block halloumi, sliced
- 50g bag watercress or baby spinach
METHOD:
- Peel the orange and cut away the pith. Use a small serrated knife to segment the orange, catching any juices in a bowl, then squeeze any excess juice from the off-cut pith into the bowl as well.
- Add the mustard, honey, vinegar, oil and some seasoning to the bowl and mix well.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel carrot ribbons into the dressing bowl and toss gently.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and cook the halloumi for a few minutes until golden on both sides.
- Toss the watercress through the dressed carrots. Arrange the watercress mixture on plates and top with the halloumi and orange.
5. STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC PASTA SALAD
WHAT YOU NEED (SERVES 4):
- 450g farfalle
- 60ml balsamic vinegar
- 65g feta, crumbled
- 260g strawberries, quartered
- 65g baby spinach
- Salt and pepper to season
- 30g almond flakes, toasted
METHOD:
- Cook the farfalle in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain, then transfer to a large serving bowl.
- To make the balsamic glaze, in a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (approximately 10 minutes).
- Add the feta, strawberries and spinach to your serving bowl and generously season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and garnish with almonds.
Et voilà!
Gone are the days spent mulling over packed lunch ideas. With our tasty salad recipes, you can finally look forward to your 12 o’clock meal. Just make sure you write your name clearly over your tupperware because trust us when we say, you will be the subject of one or two envious stares.
RECOMMENDED READS
If you’re struggling to schedule your usual workouts due to a busy social calendar, try to plan a more intensive session to make the most of your workout window. Try VIIT (Variable Intensity Interval Training) to target all the muscles in your body, as well as the various energy systems. This will improve strength and endurance while burning more calories.
The Athlete Spotlight: Meet Ana Learmann
It’s time to catch up with some more of our AYBL Athlete family…
Meet Ana Learmann, a fitness influencer and Nutrition major who, like us, is using her platform to help empower others to take charge of their own fitness journey.
Her kind and down-to-earth nature shines through every piece of content, from Instagram and YouTube to TikTok. And as someone who has bounced back from injury, it’s clear to see she won’t let anything stand in her way of achieving her goals.
See what else Ana had to say when we caught up with her below.
THANKS FOR CATCHING UP WITH US, ANA! TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY.
My fitness journey started with sport and just a genuine love for staying active, having teammates, working together and winning together. But that all came to a stop at the end of my sophomore year of basketball when I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), meniscus, PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) and various other ligaments. I was then due to have surgery, but due to covid, it was postponed until the next month.
Once I had surgery, I realised that staying in shape and moving my body has always been important to me and because I could no longer participate in sports, I opted for the gym. From there, I started learning and seeing progress, not only from physical therapy for my knee, but in myself.
Online, I started posting TikTok dances and people admired the way I looked and started asking for workout routines. The positive feedback from others online gave me the confidence to start posting more regularly, which has allowed me to learn and grow with my supporters and audience ever since.
Months went by and I started to attract more and more attention for fitness, lifestyle and fun. Now, here I am, a year later still doing content creation online due to the fact that I tore my ACL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS OR ADVICE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS LOOKING TO START SHARING THEIR FITNESS JOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
Just do it! It sounds so simple - and believe me, it’s not - but you’ll miss every chance you don’t take.
Start out by just doing it for yourself and use it as a way to track your progress and learn as you move through your fitness journey.
Be consistent with posting once, maybe even twice a day, depending on the platform. Also, be creative and be yourself - never be afraid to show your personality, as it shows people that you’re relatable and real. From there, you will start to attract an audience that has goals and ideals that align with yours. After that, you’ll have your own community of people who are invested in your journey and just you in general.
All it takes is one post, you got it!
@ana.learmann Here are some things I do if I’m not feel like going to the gym, try one of them out to get you up and motivated🙌🏽 #beaybl @ehplabs ♬ original sound - I am Regina Phalange
WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY WORKOUT ROUTINE LOOK LIKE?
My typical weekly workout routine looks like this:
- Mondays: Back and biceps.
- Tuesdays: Quads and calves.
- Wednesdays: Glutes and hamstrings.
- Thursdays: Chest and triceps.
- Fridays: Abs and cardio.
- Weekend: Rest and get outside.
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST AND MOST CHALLENGING MOMENT SO FAR IN REGARDS TO YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY?
I think my proudest moment in my fitness journey was finally getting the ‘all-clear’ from my physical therapist. When my injury occurred, it was the first serious injury I’d had. I’d never broken, sprained or severely hurt any part of my body prior to that, so losing most, if not all, of my muscle mass in my right leg for nine months was the most challenging thing I have physically had to go through.
I remember at one point, I was lying down at physiotherapy and was asked to lift my leg up. Although it seemed simple, I was unable to do it - I didn’t have enough muscle to do so. That gave me the motivation to give it my all in the gym and push myself to get back to being me.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING AN AYBL ATHLETE AND HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SEEN AS INFLUENTIAL TO OTHERS?
I love the AYBL community and family!
It doesn’t feel like work to me, it feels more like a hobby. Getting to work not only with the brand itself, which is amazing and empowering, but working with the people behind the scenes is so surreal. I would not be where I am without the constant love and support from AYBL.
As far as being influential goes, I don’t think I have my head wrapped round it still. I feel as though my supporters are my best friends and we are all learning and growing together in life. My platforms are just large groups of people with common interests uplifting each other and that is what I love most about what I do.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE AYBL CAMPAIGN TO WORK ON AND WHY?
My favourite AYBL campaign has to be going to LA for the Summer Sale photoshoot. I had so much fun, the AYBL family were so nice, generous and kind. They made sure I was well rested, fed and had fun throughout all of the shoots.
My favourite memory was when we stopped and went on a rollercoaster - because why not?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AYBL COLLECTION OR SET AND WHY?
My favourite AYBL collection is the Motion Collection. I love the variety of dark and light colours. The comfortability of the fabric, whether I want to lounge around the house, go on a hike or workout, is a perfect fit for every occasion. I’m obsessed to say the least!
DO YOU HAVE ANY TOP TIPS TO HELP OUR FEMALE COMMUNITY ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS?
Listen to your favourite music, take your supplements, put on a cute outfit and do your workout. It can be intimidating going to a gym and seeing people work out, feeling as though all eyes are on you, but trust me, they’re not. People are at the gym to work out just like you, so go in and work hard and reward yourself with a protein shake for the gains when you get home!
WHAT DOES THE NEXT SIX TO 12 MONTHS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
I’m currently studying Nutrition, so I’ll be continuing my college education.
I also want to continue to build my platforms and audience with my sister, especially YouTube, as that’s been our favourite as of recently.
I also want to continue to better myself emotionally and physically, so I can grow as a person throughout everything that I have going on.
DO YOU THINK YOUR CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH LEXIE HAS HELPED YOUR CONTENT GROW AND BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT HAS BEEN?
Completely! People love the fact that we’re twins and look so much alike. Online, people engage because they think they’re seeing double or that it’s cool we look so similar. Every time we post something together it does well too.
I would not be where I am without her in general, but also, I could not have done this without her support, motivation and creativity through this entire journey that we’ve accomplished together. She’s my best friend!
Together, the two of them are truly unstoppable - and it just proves that with the right mindset, you can achieve anything!
Take a look at what Lexie had to say when we caught up with the other half of the Learmann Twins.
How To Create A Capsule Wardrobe
If you’ve ever been on Pinterest, you'll no doubt have heard of a ‘capsule wardrobe’ - sometimes called an edited or minimalist wardrobe.
The idea behind it is that you get rid of all those pieces that you say you’ll wear again, but never do (we know the drill!) and revamp your wardrobe with everyday essentials that go with everything. In theory, it’s pretty simple, but if you’re unsure how to create a capsule wardrobe, we’re here to lend a helping hand.
WHAT IS A CAPSULE WARDROBE?
The simple definition is that it’s a curated wardrobe composed of versatile pieces that you can wear time and time again - and, more importantly, that you love to wear.
Featuring a variety of garments, from tops to outerwear, a capsule wardrobe is made up of a limited selection of interchangeable styles that complement one another. These are often timeless pieces that don’t go out of style and are of a better quality, meaning they can be worn for years to come.
Creating pieces that are long-lasting and are of a remarkable quality is something we pride ourselves on. With a range of premium styles for both your workouts and off-duty days, you’ll find everything you need and more to create your own capsule wardrobe and carry you through this season and into the next with ease.
HOW TO CREATE A CAPSULE WARDROBE
1. REVIEW YOUR CURRENT WARDROBE
Building an efficient capsule wardrobe takes time and patience. Looking at what you already have - and what you might be missing - is a good place to start.
Go through every piece you own and assess what you wear regularly and what you never touch. For each item, ask yourself ‘When was the last time I wore this?’
If you haven’t reached for something in a while, chances are you’re not going to, meaning it's time for it to go.
2. INVEST IN SOLID BASICS
Bearing in mind your favourite colours and favourite styles, choose basic staples that are versatile and work well together. The most important thing is that they’re durable and made of high quality materials, so that they last longer.
Some capsule wardrobe essentials you may consider having in your capsule wardrobe include neutral colours, like our Motion Collection in Soft Beige and Balance V2 Collection in Chocolate Brown.
Other capsule wardrobe essentials include:
3. KEEP IN MIND YOUR LIFESTYLE
When creating your capsule wardrobe, consider your lifestyle, as this will give guidance on what type of clothing you wear regularly.
For example, do you have a 9 to 5 job? If so, it’s likely you’ll need more office-appropriate clothing. Or if, like us, working out is your lifestyle, then you’ll need plenty of premium gym ‘fits to hand - that’s where we come in…
If you buy things that don’t fit your lifestyle, you’ll never get the wear out of them.
4. DON’T BE A SLAVE TO THE TRENDS
The more traditional capsule wardrobes tend to be devoid of quirky, trendy items, as they can quickly go out of style - but that doesn’t mean you need to sit the trends out entirely. Besides, paring down your wardrobe shouldn’t have to mean editing out personality.
As you know, we’re all for statement prints and dynamic patterns, so if a trend feels intrinsic to your personal style, then by all means embrace it.
You don’t always have to stick to the rules, and anyway, your outfits will be way more eye-catching.
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE A CAPSULE WARDROBE
IT’S MORE SUSTAINABLE
One of the downfalls of social media is that it’s led us to believe we can never be seen in the same outfit twice. This has spurred the rise of fast fashion, which is said to produce 92 million tonnes of landfill waste every year.
A capsule wardrobe is a more sustainable approach to your closet, as it encourages you to invest in timeless pieces that you’ll wear for years and that won’t go out of style. And while you won’t have as many clothes, you’ll feel like you have more, as you’ll get use out of every single piece, meaning no clothing goes to waste.
MORE TIME, LESS STRESS
Ever head of decision fatigue? It’s the notion that our brain is only programmed to make a certain number of decisions a day, after which, it gets tired and struggles to make additional decisions.
By having a capsule wardrobe, you’ll have fewer clothes to choose from, but essentially more of what you know works well together and that you love to wear. This means when you’re getting ready in the morning, it’s easier for you to choose what to wear, so it doesn't contribute to your decision fatigue.
We’ll take an extra 15 minutes in bed any day…
IT SAVES MONEY
We’re all for a money-saving hack and having a capsule wardrobe is a great way to save a few pennies.
Investing in pieces that are interchangeable and versatile means you can wear them again and again, meaning you no longer have to buy pieces that you’ll only wear once.
Remember, you don’t need to buy an item just because it looks great on someone you follow on Instagram - really think about your shape, style and whether their lifestyle aligns with yours.
While most minimalist wardrobes would have you commit to a lifetime of black, white and nude - and those tones are great and all - the bottom line is, a capsule wardrobe needs to work for you. So, if you’re a lover of all things bright and bold, then your wardrobe needs to reflect that! Just make sure your clothing can be mixed and matched and they aren’t too trend-led.