Gross Salad Ingredients? Why Did You Combine That?
I was at a buffet the other day watching people pile on the vegetables for their salads. The freshest choices were available and people looked like they were digging the fixings for their plates.
Then this 40-something dude strolls by with a barely-on-the-plate lettuce leaf salad and a huge amount of French fries on top found at the food station on the other side. He strolled back to his booth and announced to his pals he made the best salad ever. It made me cringe.
Salads are generally considered a healthy food choice. However, many people put some pretty gross things in their salads. In this blog post, I’m discussing some of the worst salad ingredients I‘ve ever heard of or seen, including one I do like!
From insects to road kill, people have been known to put all sorts of yucky things in their salads. Of course I am not going to go that gross. I’m sure you’ve got your own imagination and recognize some outrageous stuff that doesn't really belong in a salad. However, these items could be on a salad and it’s still gross. If you are looking for some inspiration for your next salad creation, be sure to avoid these ingredients!
When you introduce the topic of gross salad ingredients, you have to ask gross how?
There are two types of gross in my book. The first is the worst salad ingredients you use that could be bad for you. They may fit into a salad, but you don’t need the extra worry of dropping dead from bacteria or fat. And the second grouping is just bad choices for a gross salad taste. French Fries would be included in the second example.
Worse Salad Ingredients: Bad For You OR Taste Bad?
Okay you've wanted a list and I've got one for you. Sadly, you will find these ingredients on salads somewhere in the world.
Mayonnaise. I’ve been told one of the worst salad ingredients you can put in your salad is mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is made with eggs, oil, and vinegar, which makes it a breeding ground for bacteria. We see mayo in a number of items so keep an eye for it…
Bacon. Another bad for your salad ingredient is bacon. Not only is bacon high in unhealthy saturated fat, but it's also a cesspool for bacteria. They say to abstain from the bacon bits on the salad as it doesn’t belong. I say, if you do, that means there is more for me. Yeah, I know you have to be asking yourself why not bacon? And who are these people?
Lime Cheese. Yeah, that’s pretty self explanatory on why we’ve decided to not put some in our bowl. I do like shredded cheese and certain types of cheese on salad, but I’ve never been a cheese and fruit gal (like raisin or cranberry cheese is a hard pass.) Lime cheese isn’t even welcomed in my salad.
Gelatin Cubes. Doesn’t matter if it's green or red, I’m covering the bowl as it’s sounding disgusting. And I’m not coming back for gelatin as a dessert either.
Popcorn. I have actually seen popcorn in buffet lines. Not the one I was at last week, but in Las Vegas. It was a bucket that you could spoon cheese popcorn on top of the salad like croutons. I guess that might be good if you are drunk. Otherwise, go to the movies and leave our salads in peace.
Beef Jerky. Before you laugh at this idea, let me tell you I saw this at a Florida buffet many years ago. I didn’t understand it then and I don’t understand it now.
Caramel Corn. The idea behind caramel corn at a salad buffet or even on a salad escapes me. Obviously it might taste good separately, but that’s not a good enough reason to put it in with the lettuce leaves and tomatoes. Yuck!
Potato Chips. As a huge fan of potato chips, I can see why people want to put this fried vegetable on everything. However, I can only ask you to stop. It’s just a waste of a good chip that could be enjoyed elsewhere.
French Fries. Friends don’t let friends put fries on lettuce. It should be a code of life that we all follow. Obviously, if you have fries and need dressing, it’s fine. Start adding vegetables around the potato sticks and you’re just messing with danger.
More Disgusting Salad Ingredients
I couldn't let you leave without a few more gross salad ingredients. I feel so called to this topic as so many people think it's cool to fusion your salad with odd or gross items. Let me be the first to advise them to stop. It might not be creating massive issues outside of their plates, but it is making the rest of us throw up in our mouths a little.
Gummy Bears and Jellybeans. When it comes to candy and salads, that usually means you are at a location that serves salad, meats and desserts all in one place and people are being funny. Just in case there is any question, jellybeans do not substitute for croutons over a thousand island dressing. It’s just plain wrong.
Whipped cream. It’s important to point out that whipped cream isn’t an actual salad dressing. That should be a lesson taught to kids in elementary school. For reasons that I just don’t understand, I see more kids put a dollop of whipped cream on salads than salad dressing. And they eat it all (the whipped cream - not necessarily the vegetables.)
Salad Dressing Sea. Salad ingredients are not just a leaf of lettuce along with a few vegetables in a sea of salad dressing. It’s gross to watch someone stir a piece of tomato as it floats in a plate of dressing. The biggest tipoff that this might be you, is if you need to eat your salad with a spoon.
In Conclusion
Salad is a salad, but salad ingredients should be healthy and nutritious to make the meal more enjoyable. However, some people choose to put gross and unhealthy things on their salad, which can make the salad less enjoyable. Just make sure that isn’t you (or get your zany salad to go.)
So there you have it, the worst salad ingredients ever. Bon appetit!
What are some of your least favorite salad ingredients? Let us know in the comments below.