back to the basics: a filling salad

I wouldn’t fit the stereotypical mold of a “healthy living blogger” if I told you I don’t enjoy salads. However, lucky for you (and me!), I absolutely love salads.

Yes, I eat one almost every day.

Yes, it fits into a Tupperware so large it could feed a family of four.

Yes it probably was the best thing I ate all day.

Any more questions?

Truth be told, salads make me feel good — inside and out. They fill me up, make me feel like I am adding years to my life with every bite, and well, they’re just awesome. Salads usually allow me to fit in the majority of my 5-9 servings of vegetables a day as well. In order to create a filling salad that can be considered a full meal, I need to make sure I also have healthy fats and a protein source somewhere in the ix.

I create my salads with whatever ingredients I have in my fridge and pantry, so they are never exactly the same. However, I always follow the same steps to reach a salad that will help tide me over until my next meal or snack.

1. Choose your base. When I’m talking about salads, I usually mean a base that is something green. My favorites include the following:

• spinach
• romaine (my all time favorite!0
• kale
• spring mix

2. Top with other vegetables. The vegetables I choose are always a little bit different, and very well depend on what I have in my fridge at the moment. I have really been enjoying cold roasted vegetables on top of my salads. My absolute favorite roasted vegetable at the moment to top my salad with is roasted sweet potatoes. Honestly, give it a try — they are the perfect creaminess to break up the crunchy bits of the salad. I can’t get enough!

3. Add a protein source.

• tofu
• beans
• egg

4. Add a healthy fat.

• avocado/guacamole
• nuts
• sunflower seeds
• olive oil (also as a dressing!)

5. Dress it up! I tend to stay away from bottled dressings, but there are some fairly good choices out on the market. I’ve seen some great ones at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. In reality, I’m just cheap, and I can’t get enough of my hummus as my salad dressing!

• balsamic & olive oil
• salsa
• hummus
• nutritional yeast

I have found when I eat giant salads that I must pair it up with a whole grain of some sort. If I don’t, I end up with quite a stomachache from the huge amount of fiber I have just eaten! Everyone is different of course, but my stomach is happier with some balance!

For more Back to the Basics posts, visit the following links:

• Back to the Basics: Roasted Vegetables
• Back to the Basics: Cooking with Grains
• Back to the Basics: Beans, Beans, Beans

Question: What is your favorite salad combination?

The winner of the Trop50 and Spa Week giveaway is #36, Lauren! Congrats! Please email me to claim your prize.

Tagged as: back to the basics, how to construct a filling salad, salad, series, the perfect salad