Incorporating protein-rich food into your diet is one of the best ways to stay healthy and energised, especially for those looking for quick and filling meal options. Here are three simple salad recipes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, that are not only rich in protein but also satisfy the Indian taste buds looking for a hint of regular flavour. These nutritious salads can be prepared quickly with a few ingredients, making them ideal for those with a busy lifestyle.

Spicy Paneer and Chickpea Salad

All you need is a cup of boiled chickpeas, lightly sautéed paneer cubes, cut onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and basically any other vegetable of your choice, and some green chillies and coriander. Mix them all in a bowl, add roasted cumin powder, chilli flakes salt and lemon juice and give it a good mix. And the salad is ready. 

Protein Boost: Paneer and chickpeas are both excellent sources of protein, making this salad a hearty and nutritious option. If you want to increase the amount of protein, replace paneer with tofu. You can also sauté paneer with spices of your choice to make it more flavourful, like peri peri or pizza mix.

Egg and Moong Sprouts Salad

For this, you'll need four boiled eggs and a cup of moong dal sprouts as the main ingredient. Add as many vegetables of your choice like carrots, cucumber, onion, sauteed capsicum, mushroom and broccoli. Lastly, add chaat masala, lemon juice, and salt to taste. You can also add any other ketchup or spice as per the flavour you like.

Protein Boost: You can add whatever you want to add to make boring eggs tasty because be assured that your protein intake is already taken care of with the main two ingredients, eggs and sprouts. You can make it a vegetarian recipe by adding paneer or tofu or preparing a salad dressing with hung curd and herbs. 

Grilled Chicken and Lentil Salad

This might be a little time consuming than the other two but will be worth it. For this, you need grilled chicken breast; if you have air fryer or oven at home, you can grill the chicken in it by brushing some oil on it and adding spices of your choice. If not you can order, a plate from the outside and out it in fridge, it won't go bad. A cup of cooked green lentil with vegetables and spices of your choice. Cut chicken into small pieces and mix with vegetables, sprinkle spices of your choice and some lemon juice for the tangy taste. 

Protein Boost: The combination of grilled chicken and lentils offers a high-protein content which is perfect to replace one full meal. If you like, you can add mashed potatoes on the side to make it even more filling. We suggest adding some sauces to make it tastier.