20 Make-Ahead Salad Recipes for Better Blood Sugar

A little planning goes a long way when it comes to these delicious salad recipes that you can make ahead! These salads are good options for those following a diabetes-friendly eating pattern, since each serving is lower in sodium and saturated fat. They are also packed with refreshing, heart-healthy ingredients and complex carbs like vegetables, fruits and whole grains, which will help keep your blood sugar levels more stable. You’ll want to try recipes like our Parsley Tabbouleh and Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas for a flavorful and nutritious meal.

Parsley Tabbouleh

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman

This tart, parsley-dominated tabbouleh recipe makes for a flavorful side at any gathering. The recipe can be easily doubled to feed a crowd. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Goddess dressing typically gets its umami-ness from anchovies, but we use miso in this super green salad to keep it vegetarian. Substitute 2 chopped anchovies for the miso if you like. Or add baked tofu, poached salmon or grilled chicken for a boost of protein.

Grilled Chicken Taco Salad

Peppery arugula, grilled corn and a tangy lime vinaigrette give this taco salad a serious upgrade. This recipe is the perfect vehicle for using the crushed-up tortilla chips at the bottom of the bag.

Broccoli & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

We’ve loaded this tasty pasta salad with vegetables and bright flavors. Sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of lemon zest jazz up the dressing, while tender-crisp broccoli florets cook alongside the pasta, making assembly (and cleanup!) a breeze.

Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad

Fresh wedges of tomato, thinly sliced onion and sliced cucumber dressed simply with vinegar and oil makes the most simple salad possible—think of it as the Southern counterpart to the classic Italian tomato-and-mozzarella salad. This cucumber, tomato and onion salad is best enjoyed at the height of summer, when tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh from the garden.

Cabbage, 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 sesame vinaigrette.

Quinoa Deli Salad

This spin on a classic deli salad combines hearty quinoa and chickpeas with small amounts of ham and mozzarella, so you get all of the flavor without overdoing it on the sodium. This quinoa salad is great as dinner and doubles as a delicious lunch the next day.

Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin

Don’t skip salting the cucumbers in this quick cucumber salad —just 10 minutes pulls out some of their excess moisture, concentrating the flavor and keeping the salad from being watered down. Serve this smashed cucumber salad at a summer cookout alongside burgers and hot dogs.

Mixed Lettuce Salad with Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette

Oak leaf and baby romaine lettuces are so tender they’re best eaten straight from the garden or at least within a day or two of picking. Mild and delicate, they pair wonderfully with peppery radishes and chopped hard-boiled eggs in this easy salad.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

This scrumptious and nutritious salad combines elements of Caesar salad, pasta salad and chicken salad for an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes (and most of the prep can be done ahead). Use your blender to whip together the tangy buttermilk-based dressing, which would also be great on a salmon or chickpea salad.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon

Salmon and lentils are a familiar combo in French bistro cooking; here they combine in a quick and easy salad. For the best presentation, flake the salmon with a fork, then stir gently into the salad to keep it in chunks, not tiny bits.

Power Greens Salad with Kale & Brussels Sprouts

Hearty greens and vegetables like kale and Brussels sprouts make an excellent base for prep-ahead salads. They don’t wilt after a day in the crisper, and they stand up to any number of toppings. Bonus: They’re loaded with nutrients, vitamins and minerals you won’t get from your basic iceberg wedge. The sweetness of dried cranberries balances the slight bitterness of the greens and scallions.

Pita Panzanella Salad with Meatballs

This Mediterranean-inspired salad combines the flavors of Greece with the format of a traditional Tuscan bread salad for a refreshing, yet hearty meal. For a twist, try stuffing the salad into the pitas rather than crisping them in Step 3.

Classic Dill Chicken Salad

We lightened up the creamy dressing in this chicken salad with a combo of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt. Dill, grapes, celery and walnuts make up this classic chicken salad but feel free to experiment with your favorite fruit, vegetables and herbs. Serve it open-face on toasted bread or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens.

Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don’t need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

Spinach, Apple & Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Swap out store-bought for this tangy homemade buttermilk and poppy seed dressing to take this salad to the next level. For an even more impressive meal, make your own crunchy cheese crisps in a snap, using phyllo dough, for a delicious accompaniment to this dinner salad. Make extra dressing to keep on hand for other salads throughout the week.

Warm Spinach Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

Tasty, good for you and low in carbs–this wilted spinach salad fits the bill. Turkey bacon and reduced-fat feta cheese keep the fat and calories low, while the spinach and roasted sweet peppers add vitamins A and C.

Grilled Vegetable Salads with Goat Cheese

Prepare a week’s worth of lunches in about 10 minutes using a handful of ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To save time, we’re using a bag of frozen grilled and marinated vegetables, then adding big flavor with marinated goat cheese. If you want to bump up the protein, leftover chicken breast or salmon pair perfectly with this hearty salad.

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