Salads often get a bad rap for being boring and unsatisfying, but with the right ingredients, they can be delicious and filling. Adding healthy proteins can transform a simple salad into a satisfying meal that supports your weight loss goals. To help you get started, we’ve gathered our favorite high-protein salad recipes that are perfect for keeping you full and energized.
High-protein salads offer numerous benefits. Protein helps reduce hunger, keeps you full longer, supports muscle building, aids in weight management, and boosts immune health. Since salads are typically made with a base of lettuce and other vegetables, they are naturally lower in calories, making them a great option for anyone looking to reduce calorie intake. Additionally, fiber-packed veggies improve gut health and help keep you full, two benefits that can promote weight loss. So, when you find a salad high in fiber and protein, you’ll have the ultimate filling dish to hold you over until your next meal.
Read on to learn about some of our favorite high-protein salad recipes you can try today. Then, check out 25 Superfoods That Are Surprisingly High in Protein.
Healthy Mexican Grilled Steak Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 340
Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 460 mg
This Steak Salad is full of your favorite Mexican-inspired flavors, but it’s healthier than many typical burritos, tacos, and bowls. With about 12 grams of protein from the flank steak and fiber and healthy fats from the avocado, this salad keeps you feeling full and satisfied. The high protein content can also support your weight loss goals by curbing hunger and helping you eat fewer calories throughout the day.
Get our recipe for Mexican Grilled Steak Salad.
Healthy Shrimp and Spinach Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 220
Fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 560 mg
Shrimp, bacon, and hard-boiled eggs give this delicious salad its protein boost, while pine nuts, spinach, and olive oil add healthy fats. Together, these ingredients make for a super-tasty, super-filling salad for weight loss to enjoy whenever you want.
Get our recipe for Shrimp and Spinach Salad.
Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 500
Fat: 24 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 660 mg
Grilled chicken, avocado, goat cheese, walnuts, and arugula make for a flavorful, high-protein salad that is also full of fiber and healthy fats. With over 30 grams of protein for only 500 calories, this salad will fill you up and support your weight loss by keeping hunger at bay.
Get our recipe for Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad.
Red and Green Breakfast Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 410
Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 422 mg
Fiber: 8 g
Sugar: 7 g
Protein: 23 g
A salad for breakfast? We know it sounds weird, but don’t knock it until you try it. This yummy salad serves up 23 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, so you’ll definitely feel full until lunchtime. This meal is also a great way to get in some fresh produce before starting your day.
Get our recipe for Breakfast Salad.
Chinese Chicken Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 380
Fat: 21 g (Saturated Fat: 3.5 g)
Carbohydrates: 23 mg
This high-protein salad is the perfect blend of savory and sweet. It’s so easy to make that you can throw it together whenever you need a quick, protein-rich meal. We love Annie’s Shiitake Sesame Vinaigrette for this salad, but you can use any of your favorite dressings.
Get our recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad.
Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Roasted Turkey
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 337
Fat: 22 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 340 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 8 g
Protein: 21 g
A little sweet, a little savory, and packed with a ton of flavor, this Spinach-Pomegranate Salad is the perfect meal when you need a boost of fiber, healthy fats, and protein. The best part? You can meal-prep this one in mason jars to have throughout the week when you need a quick but healthy meal. The high protein content helps support your weight loss goals by keeping you satisfied longer.
Get our recipe for Spinach-Pomegranate Salad.
Mason Jar Bean, Salmon, and Kale Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 369
Fat: 20 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 347 mg
Fiber: 11 g
Sugar: 8 g
Protein: 24 g
This salad is the whole package, offering protein from the beans and salmon, fiber from the beans, kale, and avocado, and healthy fats from the salmon, avocado, and olive oil. This nutrient balance will keep you full until your next meal, and it’s so delicious you’ll crave it all the time.
Get our recipe for Bean, Salmon, and Kale Salad.
Chicken Greek Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 360
Fat: 22 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Greek salads are always full of satisfying flavors, and this recipe keeps the heavy flavors while ensuring plenty of protein. You’ll get a protein boost from the chicken, beans, and feta cheese, and you’ll enjoy a boost of fiber from the beans, tomatoes, cucumber, and bell peppers.
Get our recipe for Chicken Greek Salad.
Protein-Packed Turkey BLT Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 230
Fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 910 mg
Packed with protein from bacon and turkey cubes, this salad will keep you full and satisfied until your next meal. It’s a delicious and inventive twist on the classic BLT sandwich, offering a fresh and exciting alternative to your usual salad routine.
Get our recipe for Turkey BLT Salad.
Spicy Grilled Calamari Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 220
Fat: 8 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 590 mg
People usually go for tuna or salmon when they’re looking for high-protein seafood, but when you’re getting bored of your typical fish choices, you can always opt for calamari! The calamari gives you around 16 grams of protein per serving, and the salad has only 220 calories total, so you can stick to both your calorie and protein goals in one meal.
Get our recipe for Grilled Calamari Salad.
Healthier Grilled Caesar Salad
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 410
Fat: 29 g (Saturated Fat: 3.5 g)
Sodium: 610 mg
This Caesar salad requires a little more work than other salads on the list because the dressing is homemade, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. With a boost of protein from the chicken breast, this salad can help you stay full until your next meal.
Get our recipe for Grilled Caesar Salad.
Asparagus Salad with Fried Egg and Prosciutto
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 260
Fat: 17 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 520 mg
This isn’t your traditional “salad,” but this Asparagus Salad features a delicious combination of prosciutto, homemade bread crumbs, fried eggs, balsamic vinegar, and fresh asparagus. The prosciutto and eggs add a nice boost of protein, but if you want even more, you can enjoy this salad alongside some grilled chicken breast as well.
Get our recipe for Asparagus Salad.
Summer Kitchen Sink Salad
Full nutrition information is unavailable.
This is a classic “everything but the kitchen sink” meal featuring grilled chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, corn, red peppers, balsamic vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and honey. The beauty of this salad is that you can make it according to the recipe or add your own spin by throwing in other ingredients you have lying around the kitchen.
Get our recipe for Summer Kitchen Sink Salad.
Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad
Full nutrition information is unavailable.
Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken is a classic favorite, and it provides 21 grams of protein per serving. Tossing this chicken in a bowl with lettuce, mandarin oranges, and red bell peppers will give you a delicious, satisfying, high-protein salad that you can make in minutes.
Get our Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad.
Rotisserie Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Salad
Full nutrition information is unavailable.
This salad is simple yet effective when you need a meal that has protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Plus, it’s so tasty that you’ll want to return for more. The chicken and cannellini beans will give you some protein, and the beans, kale, and walnuts will give you fiber and healthy fats. Follow the homemade lemon-herb vinaigrette recipe, or use one of your favorite bottled dressings.
Get Toby Amidor’s recipe for Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Salad.
