Simple Nutritious Salad
In my opinion salads are awesome not boring. You can throw practically anything you like into a salad, add a dressing and it will turn out great. Well, most times it will. Here is how I make salads at home for the boys and myself. I use a formula I created over 20 years ago that still works to this day. You have six main components to work with, starting with a base that is normally two cups. Follow that by a half cup to a full cup of starch and a half to a full cup of fruits or vegetables. Top that off with a quarter to a half cup of a lean protein and a quarter cup of toppings and a dressing. If you mix this all together, you have a pretty balanced nutritious meal with ingredients that you can change practically every day. You’ll never get bored with your choice of salad. No more lettuce, tomato and cucumber for you, my friend. Try this method of making a salad. As with all my recipes, it’s simple and easy to do. Enjoy!
Simple Nutritious Salad
Serves 1
Ingredients:
Base:
2 cups Kale
Starch:
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup chickpeas
Vegetables and fruits:
½ avocado, flesh cut into cubes
¼ cup red onion, chopped
¼ cup sliced oranges
Protein:
¼ cup feta cheese
Topping:
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Dressing:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
How to make:
Place the first nine ingredients into a salad bowl. Place the next four ingredients into a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake together to form your dressing. Pour the dressing onto the salad ingredients, lightly toss together and serve.
Like most things in life you get to you choose what you like when you make your salad.
This is a sample of suggestions that you could use-your list could be endless.
Base: Kale, spinach, red cabbage, frisee, arugula, edive, tatsoi, mesclun, bok choy, baby beet greens, butterhead, romaine.
Starch: Chickpeas, barley, bulgur wheat, farro, fonio, kamut, millet, spelt, wild rice, black beans, navy beans, black eye peas, cannellini, buckwheat.
Vegetables: Carrots, tomatoes, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, roasted or raw Brussel sprouts, cucumber, peppers, celery radishes, onions, mushrooms, apples, pear, oranges, grapes, green onions, melon.
Protein: tuna, salmon, cod, shrimp, chicken, goat’s cheese, feta cheese, mozzarella, tofu, tempeh, edamame, boiled eggs.
Toppings: brazil nuts, cashew nuts, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, hemp, apricot seeds, flax seeds, cumin seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin.
Dressings: Olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, parsley, basil, pepper flakes, walnut oil, smoked olive oil, pumpkin oil, sesame oil, whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, honey, maple syrup, olives, capers, pickled foods, mint, balsamic, cider vinegar.