Let’s put those spring veggies to good use!Salads are a simple way to eat a balanced, flavorful and nutrient dense meal and they should be anything but sparse! Today I’m sharing how you can build a salad you are really pumped to sit down and enjoy.
Components of a Salad
Greens: leafy green vegetables they are full of vitamin K,A,C and fiber that keep our digestion moving right gut healthy and skin looking fresh.
Legumes: beans, peas or lentil packed with protein, fiber, folate and potassium. 1 cup a day can help lower your blood pressure.
Nuts and Seeds: full of fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium that helps to lower blood lipids and improve heart health.
Fruit: adds a nice sweetness to salad and can be dried or fresh think pomegranate seeds or dried unsweetened cranberries.Fruit is rich in carbohydrates providing quick energy and fiber.
Veggies: roasted veggies are a nice treat balance the flavor and complexity of the salad basically it’s nice to have a balance of fresh veggies and cooked.
Animal Protein: option to add if that’s a part of your diet: chicken, beef, turkey or eggs rich in vitamin B12, zinc and iron.
Spices and Herbs: are derived from seeds, berries, bark and root of plants. They lower inflammation helping to fend off free radicals and fight off bacteria that can lead to adverse conditions like cancer or brain and nerve conditions.
6 Tips for making an Awesome Salad:
- Fresh: Choose a few types of leafy greens like arugula, endive and spinach, in-season, locally grown if available and make sure they are fresh, clean. Salad spinners are wonderful for prepping; they allows you to soak the greens in cold water, drain and spin off all the excess water. Also opt for organic greens, the delicate leaves are exposed and can easily absorb chemicals from harmful pesticides.
- Crunchy: a nice crunchy bite keeps things interesting. Pumpkin seeds, crisp potatoes or roasted chickpeas can satisfy all the crunchy needs.
- Creamy: spoon in smooth avocado,tahini, hummus or nut butter. Blend into dressing or spread some at the base of the salad bowl for a lush creaminess.
- Colorful: we eat with our eyes first, the appeal of the salad matters. Make it pop with a handful of different color veggies, fruit, herbs and legumes. Plants have so many beautiful pigments all with different functions within our cells, so vary those hues.
- Flavorful: sprinkle herbs and spices right in or whisk them in the dressing. Mint, cardamom or turmeric will take the taste to the next level, boosting the nutrient density at one the same.
- Diverse: it’s fun to mix it up, pick out ingredients that are a bit unusual, like pineapple, olives or coconut.
Take this new perspective on building a better salad and let me see what you create! Is there a favorite go to salad ingredient you love? Share with me in the comment section below.
P.S. Try out this Creamy Tahini Turmeric Dressing as pictured.
With Love, Jamie
- 4 Tablespoon Tahini
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup warm water, add more for thinner consistency
- Whisk all ingredients together.
- Pour over salad, potatoes, veggie burgers or grains.