National Salad Month

Sexy Salads

The idea of salad month is to encourage people to integrate more vegetables into their food routine. Fun fact, people can be so persuaded by marketing, that when Popeye was on the screen, farmers saw a 33% increase in spinach consumption. So, if talking about sexy salads entices you to weave more healthy color onto your plates, then I will gladly give you some ideas here.

I love a sexy salad. I am all about a salad that provides texture, color and diversity. Don’t bring me a boring salad with just iceberg lettuce and a cherry tomato slathered in ranch dressing which is full of saturated fat and sodium.

I want my salad FULL of COLOR and VARIETY. Many people choose salads because they assume that it is the meal that will offer the lowest number of calories. This is not always true as some salads can be very calorie dense when loaded up with calorie dense dressings and fried toppings such as wonton strips or onion crisps.

But salads don’t have to be super basic or boring just to keep the calories low.

My perspective on a salad is that it’s a gateway to flavor and nutrient density.

• Salads should not be boring.
• They should be satisfying and leave you feeling satiated.
• They should be exciting and something to look forward to.
• They should be full of a variety of vegetables and even fruit because by exposing our guts to a variety of plant foods, there is a beneficial impact on microbe diversity in the gut.

A healthy diverse gut is crucial for overall wellness and weight management. It has been found that poor gut health influences metabolism, nutrient absorption and inflammation which all can contribute to weight gain.

So, shift your perspective from choosing boring salads because they are low calorie to choosing a sexy salad because it is exciting, delicious and beneficial for all those beautiful bacteria in your gut making you a healthier version of yourself.

When I build a salad, I want there to be crunch, flavor, texture, healthy fat, complex carb, and color. And of course, top that salad with a beautiful protein choice.

Build a salad with me…. Pick a few from each section…salads can be warm or cold.

Color: kale, spinach, romaine, green leaf, iceberg, radishes, yellow, orange or red bell pepper, red onion, tomato, cucumber, shredded carrots, mushrooms, green beans, green onions, eggplant, green or purple cabbage, beets, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, artichokes, asparagus,

Crunch/Texture: green apple, celery, pomegranate seeds, almond slivers, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, snap peas, dried mung beans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, hearts of palm

Flavor: dill, parsley, cilantro, basil, chives, lemon, lime, garlic, salt, pepper, tajin, fennel, citrus fruits,

Complex Carb/Starch: chopped sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice, lentils, farro, sliced red potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, black beans, corn, peas, chickpeas, hummus, cannellini beans, orzo, edamame, berries, mandarin orange, watermelon, grapefruit, grapes, pear

Healthy fat: nuts, seeds, avocado, feta cheese, goat cheese, pesto, hard-boiled egg, olives, olive oil based dressing, full fat Greek yogurt based dressing

Salad combo that Dana is loving this week

• Chopped mixed greens (kale, spinach, green leaf) + chopped iceberg (for more crunch)
• Snap peas
• Red onion
• Blackberries
• Fat free feta cheese
• Sweet potato, roasted and chopped
• Fresh dill, chopped
• Pistachios, chopped

~ Prep this salad big and store in a glass dish with an airtight lid to eat on for several days. Wait to put salad dressing on for individual servings.

Easy healthy homemade dressing:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Herbs and spice of choice – such as dill, garlic, sea salt, pepper

~ shake up in a mason jar to mix well

~ 2 servings

The point here is that there aren’t any rules. Have fun. Mix it up. Get creative. There are so many salad recipes to choose from the on the internet. But sometimes it’s nice to get away from a recipe and just think about what flavor profile you are desiring and put together a combination that is as fitting as a Tetris combination.

In health,

Dana