How To Build A Better Salad

Iceberg. Romaine. Tomato. Cheese. Croutons. Ranch.

BORING!

Why settle for the old standard salad bar salad when you can craft a masterpiece that will be tantalizing to the eyes and the taste buds? Not to mention, you want a salad that adds to not detracts from your health and a salad that’s loaded down with cheese, creamy dressing, and croutons….well.

I have a salad nearly every day for lunch. [bctt tweet=”Here’s the formula for how to build a better salad.” username=”inspiredfully”]

GREENS

Choose greens that are nutrient dense. Some good options are:

~Kale

~Spinach

~Arugula

~Cabbage

~Swiss Chard

~Red Leaf Lettuce

~Brussels Sprouts

SALAD: Red Cabbage Salad With Spicy Peanut Dressing

SALAD: Farro Salad

VEGGIES

I love the addition of hot roasted vegetables on my salad. The heat from the veggies slightly wilts the greens and takes of the cold edge making the salad the perfect temperature. Mmm, just typing about it has me eagerly looking forward to lunch. A few of my favorite veggies to add to a salad are:

~Colorful Peppers

~Cherry Tomatoes

~Carrots

~Green Beans

~Roasted Sweet Potato

~Roasted Butternut Squash

~Avocado

~Fresh Herbs

PROTEIN

If you want to lose/maintain weight, build muscle and reduce body fat, you should eat protein with every meal. By evenly rationing protein throughout your day as opposed to a huge portion at dinner, your muscles receive a constant supply of amino acid, which supports building muscle and boosting metabolism.

~Lean meat of choice

~Beans

~Nuts

~Quinoa

~Tofu

~Tempeh

ADD INS

Boost the taste and nutritional value of your salad by adding these extras.

~Nuts

~Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, flax)

~Grains

~Wild Rice

~Scallions

~Goat Cheese, Feta

~Fruit (fresh or dried. I love the contrast of sweet and savory in a salad)

DRESSINGS

Many store bought dressings are not good for you. They can contain hydrogenated soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup and in general too much fat and sugar. You’d fare better making your own dressing and chances are you may already have ingredients at home to make the dressings. Whizzing these dressings in the blender gives them a nice creamy consistency without all the saturated fat and cholesterol normally found in many store bought dressings.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

My standard go to dressing. It’s made most excellent by the addition of my all time favorite spice, Hope by Virtuous Living. Click here to order your Hope today.

½ cup high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette

1 tbsp Hope

2 tsp maple syrup

1 clove garlic minced

salt & pepper to taste

Tahini Dressing

Tahini is a staple in my kitchen. From dressings to hummus to soups, I have many uses for it.

½ cup water

2 tbsp tahini

a squeeze of lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste