Well it’s no secret, if you’ve read this blog for more than about a day you know that lots of many of my lunches/dinners begin with a handful of greens on a plate. While I realize that eating salad on a daily basis sounds like the definition of hell to some people, I love it. Salads are quick to put together (faster than cooking anything) and you don’t have to get pots and pans dirty. Not to mention the obvious benefit that salads are a great way to get in lots of vegetables, which are high in vitamins, fiber, and phytochemicals, while being low in calories and fat.
- Pick your fat. Don’t layer on oil or full-fat dressing, plus nuts, plus cheese, plus avocado…go with one. (For the record, my same guidance applies to sandwiches: it’s mayo or oil/vinegar, or cheese, not all 3. Got it? Good.) I usually go for (one ounce) of cheese, so all my dressings are fat free. Occasionally I’ll toss in some olives or avocado instead.
- Wash em’! Don’t forget to give your veggies a good rinse before cutting them up. Especially when you’ll be eating them raw, you want to make sure you clean off as many germs lurking on the surface of your produce as possible. Even bagged greens (which may or may not say that they are prewashed) are a good candidate for an extra dunking. If wet lettuce drives you nuts, get a salad spinner.
- Cut up extra. So you’ve got the cutting board out, and you’re slicing and dicing up peppers, onions, radishes, whatever…. don’t stop at what you need just for tonight! Cut up some extras and put them in a ziploc or plastic container in the fridge. Presto! Speedy veggie omelet the next day, precut salad or sandwich toppings for tomorrow’s lunch, or pepper strips for an easy to-go snack with some hummus. Once they’re cut up, you may find it much much easier to incorporate more veggies in your diet.
- Don’t forget your protein. It has been joked that if I had to sum up my life in three words it would be “Salads with Chicken”. Ok, I’m guilty of repeating my favorites often (who isn’t?) but I do switch it up. Sometimes it’s beef, sometimes shrimp or salmon, sometimes chicken sausage, but there’s always protein in my meal. Otherwise, you’re likely to end up hungry in a few hours.
- Vary your veggies, and go for color. Spinach, romaine and spring greens all make for a more nutritious base than iceberg. You may have heard that different colored produce have different nutrients, and it’s true. You certainly don’t need to memorize that purple-blue colors mean anthocyanins (purple cabbage and blueberries for example) or that orange-red colors (carrots, bell peppers) contains lots of carotenoids, which are vitamin A precursors. Just get a rainbow.
- Lastly, beware of restaurant salad traps. Taking a plate of lettuce and loading it up with fried chicken strips, bacon crumbles, blue cheese and blue cheese dressing hardly qualifies as a health-promoting meal. (That means you, Chili’s, with your Buffalo Chicken Salad weighing in at 1070 calories!) But that’s just one example. When dining out, ask for one or two of the fatty items to be left off, and inquire about light or fat free dressings. Simply adding less dressing can save you hundreds of calories. Or try and recreate the flavors you love at home: I’m sure my grilled chicken (with buffalo sauce) salad topped with blue cheese isn’t the same gustatory delight as the Chili’s salad. But it’s good! And hey, at least I can get my pants on even if I enjoy eating it a few times a week.
#3 Chicken Caesar, #4 is topped with chopped spicy chicken sausage (al fresco brand- it rocks) and Nance’s buffalo wing sauce. #5 is another reincarnation of buffalo chicken and blue cheese (Val and I love that combo). and #6 is leftover Wild Salmon with Dill and Onion on romaine. Look closely and they’ve all got a good assortment of veggies piled up underneath.
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I wish I could bring myself to be more adventurous with my salads. I eat a salad at least every other day but I usually stick to the same thing. I think I will try some of your inspirations soon
They all look great, Georgie. What is easier than salad in a bag topped with a few extra veggies and chicken or shrimp grilled on the old Foreman? Presto! A healthy meal. I'm also a big fan of the feta, as you can buy low-fat versions and it adds a lot of flavor.
right on Barb.
I love veggies at home. Salads are alright. I prefer sticking them in paninis or another dish I already like.
Only problem I have with veggies is when I'm trying to eat them all before they go bad (poor cauliflower this week). Best thing I've done to fix it is piling them on a whole wheat pita pizza w/ reduced fat mozzarella.
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