A 7-Day Meal Plan of Fresh Salads

Updated: May 13, 2021

With so many comfort food dinners on rotation and holiday cookies everywhere you turn, it's nice to add a fresh salad to the mix. These light dinners are full of flavor and packed with good-for-you ingredients.

1 / 7

Sunday: Roasted Apple Salad with Spicy Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

We bought loads of apples and needed to use them. To help the flavors come alive, I roasted the apples and tossed them with a sweet dressing. —Janice Elder, Charlotte, North Carolina
2 / 7

Monday: Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad

This colorful salad is easy to make—and it’s even easier if you use precut chunks of butternut squash. You can use pecans in place of the almonds or watercress instead of the arugula or spinach. —Nancy Buchanan, Costa Mesa, California
3 / 7

Tuesday: Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa Salad

With Brussels sprouts for the green and cranberries for the red, I make a cheery Christmastime salad. Refreshing and versatile, it works with any kind of nut or dried fruit. —Cameron Stell, Los Angeles, California
4 / 7

Wednesday: Turkey and Apple Arugula Salad

This satisfying salad proves that turkey can be enjoyed outside of the holidays. Peppery salad greens, sweet grapes and rich walnuts combine to create a flavor sensation. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
5 / 7

Thursday: Caesar Salad in Peppered Parmesan Bowls

This cheese bowl salad looks impressive but is a cinch to make. I won’t tell if you don’t! —Melissa Wilkes, St. Augustine, Florida
6 / 7

Friday: Winter Beet Salad

To save a little time on this sweet and savory beet salad, we recommend using packaged salad greens in this original recipe. The simple dressing is easy to assemble. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
7 / 7

Saturday: Tarragon Tuna Salad

It’s surprising how a few herbs can brighten up tuna salad. Made with reduced-fat mayonnaise, this version gets its zip from mustard. It makes a terrific light lunch or Sunday brunch dish. —Billie Moss, Walnut Creek, California

Find more 7-day meal plans.