Salads are a huge thing for me. I have at least one side salad every day.
They weren’t always my best friends, though. Once I finally learned what made a
tasty and healthy salad my love for them has grown. I enjoy adding new things
and creating news tastes. This is why I have decided to share what I have
learned about salads with you. There are four steps or components to a good
salad that I like to call the base, greens, proteins, and bonuses.
Bon Appetite~!
Base
Iceberg lettuce is one
of the worst foods you can eat. Sure the entire head is only 10-20 calories,
but there is absolutely no nutritional value. I remember when I was on a health
kick in high school I tried to eat a salad for lunch every day. The problem
was, I didn’t know how to make a salad that would fill and fulfill me. I used
iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing. That was literally it and
I was falling asleep before the end of the day. It was an all-around uninformed
decision.
Choose a stronger
base! Choose something with vitamins and minerals such as green leaf lettuce,
romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, or a mixture of them all. These foods also have
more fiber and will help you feel fuller longer.
Green
You need more green,
honey. Just because your bowl is only green right now doesn’t mean you should
stop there. Add broccoli, asparagus, sprouts, or avocado. Something! This goes
along with adding fiber as well as vitamins. The more variety you have in your
bowl, the better quality your meal will be.
Color
It is finally time
to start adding some pizazz! Color can be anything you think would taste good
in the salad that will also make it pretty. Nothing is better than pretty food
to make your coworkers jealous. This group includes carrots, red onion, bell
peppers, beets or radishes. We include fruit in this category as well, both
dried and fresh. Strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, pretty much the berry
family, and apples are fabulous choices. Flowers are some of my favorite
additions to salads. I grow my own pansies and violas in the summer to garnish
my salads. Spice it up. Have some fun!
Protein
Though it is true we
are told we need more protein than most of us really do, protein is very
important to get you through your day. This is another category that has a
large amount of wiggle room. I mean, so many things that taste good in salads
have protein and I am not just talking about chicken, salmon, or eggs. There
are a variety of cheeses that are wonderful in salad, just pick which you like.
Beans and legumes are packed with protein and are the bomb in salads. Nuts and
seeds, of course, rock salads and carry protein with them. For me it is not a
salad without a variety of nuts and seeds.
Bonus
Welcome to the bonus
round! Here is where we choose our dressings wisely! All I ask is that you find
something you love. If you hate your dressing you will hate your salad. Don’t
be afraid to try new things to see if maybe there are healthier dressings you
like more! Read labels or learn fun recipes to make your own.
Another note is that
so many of us go overboard on dressing. If you use so much you cannot taste all
of the wonderful things you added, that is really sad, don’t you think? I for
one once slathered my salads in dressing but I have slowly used less and less
to ease myself away from so much. I can tell you I feel better and I think my
salads taste better.
