I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for a salad with blue cheese or feta cheese and vinaigrette dressing, but I discovered after starting Weight Watchers that my three all time favorite salads are all high in Weight Watcher smart points. The three favorite salads were:

1. The Portillos Chopped Salad.
2. The cranberry pecan salad at Bob Evans.
3. The Wendy’s apple pecan chicken salad.

They all taste amazing, and prior to doing Weight Watchers I used to assume that any kind of salad is a healthy salad. Once I started Weight Watchers I learned that all of the 3 salads listed above, while they may be healthier than a cheeseburger and fries, are still high in Weight Watcher smart points. Here are a few ways I have found that I can work with a salad that is high in points, without completely knocking my plan off track…

6 Ways I can bring Smart Points down in a salad:

1. I can practice portion control by getting the smaller size (when it is an option).
2. I can choose to just eat half the salad.
3. I can leave out some of the ingredients that are higher in fat.
4. I can ask for things like bacon, croutons, salad dressing, nuts, and cheese on the side and add a small amount in the salad, rather than the full portion.
5. I can make it an opportunity to learn to love a new salad.
6. I can try to make a salad I love at home for less points.

My all-time favorite fast food salad…

A salad that I have learned I love that is low in Weight Watcher smart points is the McDonald’s Premium bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken, which is just 5 Weight Watchers FreeStyle Smart Points! It’s delicious. This has become one of my new favorite fast food lunch ideas. I made a list of fast food ideas that are low in smart points. You can find that list here.

(picture above is the McDonald’s Premium bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken)

A salad that tastes like you got it from the restaurant.

Today I want to share a salad that you can make at home that tastes as good as a salad in a restaurant, but for less smart points. To cut back 3 smart points per serving (making this salad just 2 Weight Watchers FreeStyle Smart Points per serving) you can choose to leave out the avocado.

Here is what you need:

Cooking spray
1 ½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
¼ t. salt
¼ t. black pepper
8 c. mixed greens
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado
4 green onions
1/3 c. fat-free Italian dressing
2 T. crumbled blue cheese
1 bacon slice

Here is what you do:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Cut into ½-inch slices.
2. Combine greens, tomatoes, avocado, and onions in a large bowl.

   

3. Drizzle greens mixture with dressing; toss gently to coat.
   
4. Arrange about 2 cups greens mixture on each of 4 salad plates. Top each serving 4 ounces chicken, 1 ½ tsp. cheese and about ½ tsp. bacon.
   

Makes 4 servings.
One serving is 2 cups greens, 4 ounces chicken, 1-½ tsp. cheese, 1/4 of an avocado, and about ½ tsp. bacon.
One serving is 5 WW FreeStyle Smart Points.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in the cookbook, “Cooking Light 350-Calorie Eat Smart Guide: 90 Fresh, Quick, and Easy dishes”.