24 400-Calorie Spring Salads for Weight Loss

Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives
Photo: Jennifer Causey

Enjoy a fresh main or side dish with these spring salad recipes. These recipes are packed with seasonal vegetables to create a flavorful dish that's full of fiber and clocks in at 400 calories or less per serving. Recipes like Snap Pea Salad with Lemon and Feta and Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives are healthy, delicious and can help you meet your goals.

01 of 24

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

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Homemade poppy seed dressing pairs beautifully with tender spinach, crunchy almonds and juicy berries for a fantastically refreshing and easy spring salad. To make ahead, whisk dressing, combine salad ingredients and store separately. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving. To make it a complete meal, top with grilled chicken or shrimp.

02 of 24

Asian 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 Asian sesame vinaigrette.

03 of 24

Cucumber & Avocado Salad

a white platter with cucumbers and avocados

This healthy cucumber-avocado salad takes just five minutes to prep. Lime juice and fresh herbs boost the bright flavors in this crunchy and creamy salad that's a perfect side dish for grilled chicken, fish or steak. This recipe calls for an English cucumber, which doesn't have to be peeled, but regular cucumbers work well too--just peel them before slicing.

04 of 24

Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives

Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives
Jennifer Causey

This Mediterranean lentil salad, with chopped veggies, feta cheese and a light dressing, is perfect to have on hand for a quick lunch.

05 of 24

Warm Cabbage Salad with Bacon

Warm Cabbage Salad with Bacon
Jacob Fox

This warm cabbage salad bursts with flavor from a tangy Dijon vinaigrette and crispy bacon.

06 of 24

Snap Pea Salad with Lemon and Feta

Fresh greens, lemony vinaigrette, briny feta, and crisp radishes and pea pods all come together in this side salad that you'll want at every meal. We love Meyer lemons in this salad, but any variety will do.

07 of 24

Spinach Salad with Morels, Bacon & Blue Cheese

In this hearty spinach salad recipe, asparagus and potatoes star next to bold morel mushrooms, bacon and blue cheese. Mature spinach works best here--it'll hold up better than baby spinach when tossed with warm vegetables and a sharp, mustardy vinaigrette.

08 of 24

Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado

Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado
Eva Kolenko

This tofu-topped watercress salad is a fresh, plant-based meal perfect for when you want something hearty but are looking to cut down on the meat. The mango and avocado add tangy flavor and creamy texture to bring the salad together.

09 of 24

Bean Salad with Charred Lemons

Creamy avocado, salty feta cheese and sweet-bitter caramelized lemon slices make this vegetarian bean salad recipe a standout. Using different colors, sizes and shapes of beans makes this salad extra special. But any bean that interests you, even canned, will work.

10 of 24

Shaved Artichoke Salad with Shrimp

Venice was built on saltwater marshes in the 6th century, and many local crops like the city's Sant'Erasmo artichokes, have a delicate taste of the sea. For this healthy salad artichokes are sliced thin--a great use for a mandolin if you have one--and served raw. When paired with the sweet-salty shrimp the combo evokes the flavors of the lagoon. For tender and tasty results, buy the smallest, freshest artichokes you can find.

11 of 24

Chopped Salad with Cornbread Croutons

At Handsome Hog, his restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, Justin Sutherland offers this chopped salad topped with any barbecued meat on the menu. The chef recommends brisket--it takes this already Southern-inspired salad a step further.

12 of 24

Spinach Fennel Salad

You wouldn't know to look at it, but fennel is in the carrot family! Its licorice-like flavor takes this simple spinach salad to new heights.

13 of 24

Fattoush Salad

Red cabbage gives this fattoush salad extra crunch. Recipe adapted from New Arrival Supper Club chef Maysaa Kanjo.

14 of 24

Chicken-Broccoli Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Packaged broccoli slaw shortcuts the prep for this honey-mustard chicken salad. Dried cherries add a pop of color and tart-sweetness.

15 of 24

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons

Swapping tofu for the bread in these meal-prep Caesar salad bowls bumps up the satiety factor with 18 grams of protein. These crispy tofu croutons originally appeared in Lauren Grant's recipe for Diabetic Living magazine (see Associated Recipes). Lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale, has flat, dark green-blue leaves--and its tenderness makes it perfect for eating raw, like in this salad.

16 of 24

Sichuan Fava Bean, Pea Sprout & Radish Salad

This fresh and spicy salad features fava beans, which besides adding heft to this radish salad are a main ingredient in the iconic chili bean paste of Sichuan province. Look for frozen favas with Hispanic foods or in the freezer section in your supermarket. If you want an even more substantial salad, just double the sauce and add cooked sweet potato glass noodles.

17 of 24

Chicken, Kiwi and Avocado Salad

This light lunch salad is full of flavor and texture. Sweet kiwi, creamy avocado and spicy radishes combine with grilled chicken in a lime and basil flavored dressing.

18 of 24

Spinach & Dill Pasta Salad

Edamame gives this veggie-packed vegan pasta salad a bit of feel-full protein. Serve topped with extra freshly ground pepper, if desired.

19 of 24

Orange-Sesame Shrimp Salad

In this healthy Asian-inspired shrimp salad recipe, two types of greens--romaine lettuce and red cabbage--pair beautifully with the avocado and shrimp. Use extra dressing for another salad or as a sauce for baked fish.

20 of 24

Kale Salad with Spiced Tofu & Chickpeas

To top this zesty raw kale salad recipe, we toss diced tofu and chickpeas with a flavorful Moroccan-inspired spice mixture before roasting. The hot oven turns the outside of the tofu crisp and the inside pleasantly chewy.

21 of 24

Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts

a bowl of salad

Sweet strawberries, salty feta and crunchy walnuts jazz up a simple spinach salad. The balsamic vinaigrette is incredibly easy; fresh shallots add more zip than you'll find in any commercial dressing.

22 of 24

Mediterranean Lentil & Kale Salad

The kale and lentils in this Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe are combined with sweet red peppers and a bold garlic and dried tomato vinaigrette. To cut down on prep time, we use refrigerated steamed lentils, but offer instructions on preparing your own.

23 of 24

Citrus & Napa Cabbage Salad

Spooned into small bowls to eat alongside the rest of the meal, citrus salads act as bright accents to rich curries in Myanmar. If you can find Meyer lemons, use a mix of grapefruit and Meyer lemons for a less bitter and more floral bite.

24 of 24

Salad of Avocado & Romaine with Black Olive Dressing

John Willoughby helped to launch Cooks Illustrated, was executive editor at Gourmet and has authored several cookbooks, including Big Flavors of the Hot Sun, from which this salad was adapted for a March/April 1995 EatingWell story about olives. It's one of the favorites--chosen from more than 1,000 salad recipes--that we revisited in our 30th anniversary issue.

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