Salads can be FUN!
As I was preparing a salad in my kitchen for lunch today, dancing around, listening to music and enjoying the experience of putting together delicious food and flavor combinations… I thought to myself, does anyone else have this much fun while making a salad?
Probably not.
In the diet world, salads are the “safe” answer to any meal. Salads get the rep of low carb, healthy, diet friendly, but really, they are just a delicious, satisfying and fun meal choice.
So take away your diet mindset of salads and the restrictions you’ve made on toppings like no croutons, nothing crunchy, no breaded meats and no creamy dressing, and have fun with your salad again!
Here are my basic salad making tips
1. Start with a leafy base
Arugula
Romaine
butterhead lettuce
iceberg
spinach
2. Add the fiber- veggie and fruit toppings. These can be in raw form, cooked or however you like it!
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Hearts of Palm
Onions
Peppers
Jalapenos
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Corn
Carrots
Roasted Brussel sprouts
Peas
Sliced Apples
Pears
Grapes
Raisins/Craisins (dried fruit)
3. Add fat
Avocado
Olives
Nuts (protein/fat)
Seeds (protein/fat)
Cheese (protein/fat)
4. Add some starchy carbs
Sweet potatoes/potatoes
Quinoa
Rice
Croutons
Tortilla chips
Bread on the side
5. Add the protein
Chicken (this can be breaded!)
Steak
Fish
Shrimp
Beans (roasted or canned)
Edamame
Tofu/Tempeh
6. Add the dressing- have FUN with this part and it’s 100% okay to buy store bought!
Caesar dressing
Cilantro lime dressing
Sun-dried tomato dressing
Balsamic vinaigrette
Italian dressing
Russian dressing
Green goddess dressing
Carrot Ginger dressing
Poppy seed dressing
Lemon vinaigrette
Olive oil
Balsamic
Fresh squeezed lemon or lime
Hummus- actually a really creamy and fun choice
Tzatziki- another really creamy and fun choice
The point is HAVE FUN with your salads, enjoy the experience and elevate your salads with enough veggies, grains, protein and delicious dressings!
