There are a few things the 90s couldn’t get enough of – sitcoms, Rachel Green ‘lobs’ and keto diets. This viral salad incorporates all three. Paloma Worley tests out the protein-packed salad Jennifer Aniston ate every day on the set of Friends.
Whether it's nostalgia for a time before iPhones, a love of baggy clothes and baby tees or simply the cyclical nature of trends, the 90s have made a comeback in a big way. So much so that this simple salad that 90’s iconic and sitcom star, Jennifer Aniston ate every day on the set of Friends has amassed millions of views on TikTok.
However, not everyone has gotten the recipe right, with many quinoa/bulgur variations of the salad circulating the internet. Jennifer Aniston set the record straight on her grain-free, protein-packed salad recipe in a recent interview. “It was a salad from the commissary, that was basically a Cobb salad we butchered,” says Aniston.
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Likely inspired by the popular diet trend and weight loss method of the 1990s, the Keto Diet, this salad packs a protein punch with salami, bacon, chicken and chickpeas. Many celebrities of the 90s, including Aniston who recently said she was on a low-carb diet for decades took up this way of eating in order to maintain low body fat.
The Keto Diet focuses on three tenets — high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrates. The thought behind the diet was that by lowering carb intake and increasing fat/protein intake the body would go into a state of ketosis, turning fat into fuel rather than carbohydrates.
It’s important to note that Keto diets have received their fair share of flak from health experts since the 90s. The main concern of the diet amongst health experts is its potentially high saturated fat content, which should make up no more than 7 per cent of your daily calorie intake, according to this Harvard Medical School article.
Putting potential health risks aside for a moment, as they depend on what the rest of your diet looks like, this salad is easy to make, sure to fill you up with its protein and kept Rachel Green fuelled while waiting on the busy tables of Friend’s Central Perk.
If it's good enough for wellness icon Aniston, it's good enough for all of us. Image: @jenniferaniston
Fair warning and since we’re all pals here I’ll admit that if your stomach is like mine, there may be some friendly fire down below after consuming this dish. Even Jen warns of the salad’s potential for an upset tummy, advising a reduction in chickpeas if you’re prone to protein farts.
And so with The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There For You” blasting I took Jen’s salad for a spin and let me tell you this is no side dish, but a whole-ass meal. For a meat lover like me, this salad was a dream, but for my vegetarian-leaning friends who witnessed the making of it, it was something of a nightmare seeing chicken, salami and bacon mixed together.
With most of the salad’s ingredients pre-cooked (I used a Woolies roast chicken and canned chickpeas for mine) this salad is a quick one, making it a fast option for lunch. Tasty and filling, it’s unsurprising this salad was such a hit with Jen and is one to put in the bank of meals that’ll be there for you in a weekday pinch.
While my aforementioned meat-averse friends did not join me in my weekday lunch; Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, Monica and Joey did during my lunchtime viewing.
The Jennifer Aniston Salad
Makes 2 full salads or 4 side salads.
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups iceberg lettuce, broken into 3cm pieces
- 1 ripe tomato, cut into eighths
- ½ cup salami, julienned in 5cm strips
- ½ cup cubed roast chicken
- ½ cup cooked chickpeas
- ½ cup crispy turkey bacon
- ¼ cup pecorino cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons Italian dressing, or to taste
Method
1. Fry the turkey bacon on medium heat for 8 minutes or until crispy. Allow to cool.
2. Cut iceberg lettuce into 3cm pieces, a tomato into eights and salami into 5cm strips.
3. Combine lettuce, tomato, salami, chicken, chickpeas and bacon in a large salad bowl.
4. Add Italian dressing to taste and pecorino cheese.
5. Toss well and serve immediately.
