Delicious and nutritious salads for a healthier life!
Salads can be such a great way to help cut calories, increase super foods, and eat healthier! Making your own dressings can be a great way to control the amount of sugar, fat, and additives. Today we want to offer you a couple of salad dressing recipes as well as a build-your-salad list which can help you to be more creative with your salad making.
Healthy Salad can be creative and delicious!
Choose one or more from each category:
Base:
Lettuce
Spinach
Spring Mix
Arugula
Fresh Herbs
Protein:
Black Beans
Chick Peas
White Beans
Chicken
Turkey
Cashews
Sunflower Seeds
Almonds
Walnuts
Pecans
Pepperoni
Salami
Cheese:
Goat Cheese
Blue Cheese
Parmesan
Cheddar
Mozzarella
Fruit:
Apples
Strawberries
Pears
Blueberries
Raspberries
Oranges
Grapefruit
Avocado
Tomato
Peach
Olives
Dried Cranberries
Dried Fruit
Vegetables:
Cucumber
Carrots
Onion
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Asparagus (blanched)
Peppers
Mushrooms
Peas
You can add croutons or any other favorite item. It’s nice to choose a theme like Italian or Vegetable or Fall or whatever you like. Try to keep salads seasonal – choosing the fruits or vegetables that are in season will give you a fresher and tastier salad. Oranges, grapefruits, pears, and apples are especially delicious this times of year. A salad with avocado and grapefruit is wonderful! Add a piece of whole grain bread or some whole grain crackers if your diet allows.
Salad dressings are so easy to make plus they are inexpensive and so much healthier than most available dressings. The Cooks Next Door offers two simple and delicious recipes. You can double or triple the batch for larger salads.
HONEY DIJON VINAIGRETTE
1 Tb. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 minced garlic clove
2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients except the olive oil. Gradually whisk in the oil.
LIME VINAIGRETTE (you could substitute lemon or orange for a different flavor – about 2 parts of oil to 1 part of citrus juice)
1/4 c. canola oil
2 limes, juiced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
Whisk ingredients together to blend.
Be inspired to eat healthier, make beautiful salads, and increase your nutritional intake. What is your favorite kind of salad?
