DIY: HEALTHY SALAD RECIPES YOU CAN TRY AT HOME
We tend to associate salads, especially green ones, with health, low calories, weight loss, and skinny models or actors. Summertime is considered peak salad season, due to an abundance of fresh veggies, and weather so hot that you want to eat light, but autumn is an ideal time for salads too! The weather isn't too cold yet, and there are plenty of seasonal vegetables on the market.
Most of us don’t want to pass up on meat, especially during the High Holiday season, but with the “meatless Mondays” trend, for reasons varying from health benefits to saving the planet, right after the holidays is a great time to incorporate a once-a-week (or more) cleanse of our systems by steering clear of meat products and focusing on healthy produce.
If cooking is not your thing, you might find that preparing simple and delicious salads is right up your alley. The ingredients are, for the most part, inexpensive, and easy to find and store, and after just a few minutes of chopping, your meal will be ready.
The great thing about salads is that pretty much anything goes. Throw in your favorite vegetables or whatever you have on hand. Add anything from grated cheese, to smoked fish, to fresh or dried fruits for a delicious, colorful, and healthy meal. Don’t forget that nuts and avocado are a great source of protein and healthy fat that will give you energy, and all the nutrients you need, making you feel fitter and healthier even before the holiday pounds start to come off.
RECIPES
Grilled Pepper & Mushroom Salad
Use any salad greens you like as a base, then add:
- 2 cups of mushrooms, sautéed in olive oil for 2 minutes
- 3 - 4 red peppers, grilled, peeled and cut in thin strips
- 1 carrot, shredded
- A few dried figs, quartered
Season with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before serving.
Avocado & Egg Salad Over A Bed of Baby Greens
- 3 cups of baby leaves
- 1 ripe Haas avocado, cut in chunks
- 1 small cucumber, sliced in rounds
- 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced in rounds
- A few black Kalamata olives
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp walnuts
Arrange vegetables on top of the baby leaves. Sprinkle with walnuts. Toss with olive oil, soy sauce and lemon juice before serving.
Tuna-Apple Salad
- 3-4 cups romaine or leaf lettuce
- 1 can of tuna, flaked
- Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 Granny Smith apple, diced
- A few small pickles, chopped
This combination of ingredients goes well with sesame oil, but you can also make a dressing of olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
