Add to favoritesI’m lucky, I guess. I really love salad- it’s actually one of my favorite foods, and it’s good for you. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a health food saint by any stretch of the imagination. Put me in front of a bowl of potato chips and you might not see me til they’re gone- especially if they’re those fancy gourmet kind. Bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies and forget it- I will consume a week’s worth of calories in just minutes. So I don’t always eat right, but I do love salad. Because it’s delicious and it can be made to be delicious to fit anybody’s tastes and budget.
It’s important to get enough fruits and vegetables in your diet, so it’s a good idea to have a salad every day with your lunch or dinner. But you know what? Salad can also be your lunch or dinner itself. You can make a wholesome, filling meal out of a salad. The possibilities are endless in creating the perfect meal salad. You can stick to the basics if that’s what you like, but you can also think outside the box and add any ingredients you want to your salad.
What’s great about a salad bar is that there are so many options all ready to be combined into your custom-designed salad. I do love a good salad bar, but those salads can get pricey, so I try to do something similar at home. Once a week I prepare the veggies I like and store them in separate containers in the fridge, so that when I’m ready to assemble my salad I’m good to go. Where it gets interesting is the add-ins. I don’t mind at all having leftovers from dinner because they become the interesting elements in my salad the next day. In fact, I might make some extra chicken on purpose just so that I add some tasty protein to my salad. Other easy and good proteins to add are hard-boiled eggs, cheese, canned tuna, beans, or nuts, which also add a satisfying crunch. Throw in some healthy grains like quinoa, rice, and whole wheat pasta and you’ve got a complete meal in a bowl. Avocado and green or black olives are tasty ways to get in some healthy fats, so put them in feed your brain.
Dressing options are endless, too, and you can easily and economically make your own to have ready to use. Here are some recipes to try. Make a few so that you can vary throughout the week. Have fun and experiment. You can write down your favorite combinations so that you can recreate them, or live on the edge and try something different each time so that every meal is a new adventure with Super Salad!
