Salads

 

I do appreciate a good salad.  Lots of healthy goodness tucked neatly into a bowl.  I eat salad on a pretty regular basis, at least three to five times a week, either as my veggie side dish or often as the entire meal.

 

Cobb salad is one of my favorites

I like to start with a base of greens and go from there.  While I realize iceberg lettuce doesn’t pack a lot of nutrition, I love it, primarily for the crunch and fresh flavor and I don't see the point in forcing myself to eat another lettuce I don't enjoy.  Instead I make up for it with baby spinach, which I do like, and other veggies too like broccoli.

 

A gorgeous assortment of produce

After placing a nice bed of greens on my plate or in a bowl I add at least three good veggie toppings like grated carrot, diced tomato, thinly sliced celery stalk, pickled beets, broccoli or cauliflower florets, etc.  Next I add a fat which is usually some type of cheese like grated cheddar, cubed pepperjack, feta or crumbled bleu cheese.  Some sliced or whole olives is nice as well.

 

A delicious garden salad with thinly sliced seasoned sirloin steak

If it is a salad that is designed to be my meal I next add a protein such as sliced steak, ham, turkey, egg, ground taco meat, drained tuna, diced or sliced seasoned chicken and so forth.

 

Taco salad with seasoned ground beef

Then top it with something crunchy such as sunflower seeds, pecans, sliced almonds, a few croutons or a few crushed tortilla chips.  And a good salad dressing, in moderation of course, to pull it altogether.

 

Simple spinach salad with raisins, pecans & feta

As with anything variety helps keep it from getting boring.  By making different types of salads, varying the greens and toppings, you can keep your fresh salads from becoming one of those things you get tired of eating.  Variety also boosts the health factor since different vegetables provide different nutrients and benefits.