HEALTHY SALAD RECIPES

Many people especially those on one diet or another opt for salads to keep their calorie count controlled.  And the excitement when a salad bar is featured in a restaurant often has the dieter ecstatic.  The good news here is that you can make very healthy choices at a salad bar or pick things that have more calories than eating a sandwich with french fries.  Not to mention the dressings which are not only laden with sugar, fat and salt but are loaded with empty calories.  You can cut a lot of calories along by add a healthy salad dressing to your salad.  At most salad bars there are bottles of oil and vinegar.  Pour a little oil, some vinegar and add a little salt and pepper and your salad will taste wonderful.  And best to stay away from "low calorie" blended dressings as the substitutes for fat are often sugar and unknown additives.

Eating at home is always a healthier eating choice as you know exactly what goes into your food. And you can create many healthy salad recipes that you can enjoy for lunch or dinner.  The goal is to create healthy food for healthy eating.

I have  a basic healthy salad dressing that I use with almost every salad I create.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of olive or avocado oil
1/4 cup of lemon juice or cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of water

I blend this mixture together before adding different spices.  When I feel in an Italian  mood I add a tablespoon each of Oregano, Basil and Thyme.  I will add salt and pepper to taste.  This healthy salad dressing adds just enough flavor for any vegetables of your choice.  I may also add a few tablespoons of dry parmesan cheese to thicken and give  the dressing extra flavor.  What is so great about this healthy salad dressing is that you can add any favorite spices and herbs you desire.

I try to get several servings of healthy vegetables in  most salads I make, covering the wide range of necessary vitamins and minerals.

Here is a salad that is one of my favorite healthy salad recipes for lunch especially during the summer when it is really hot.

Broccoli Garden Salad  (this will make 4 generous servings)

1 cup of fresh broccoli chopped in small pieces
1 cup of fresh cauliflower chopped in small pieces
1 cup of sliced cucumber (peeled)
1 cup of thinly sliced carrots
1 cup of chopped black olives
3 cups of chopped fresh spinach
1 cup of thinly sliced celery
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 cup of either pumpkin seeds of sunflower seeds
Basic blend salad dressing (above) add 1 tablespoon each of cumin, curry powder, garlic powder, oregano and salt and pepper to taste
Blend all the veggies in a bowl and pour the salad dressing over and mix.
Add the seeds just before serving.
Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

Having a salad with all this healthful food just adds to healthy eating.  Just knowing you are nourishing your body is wonderful.

I write extensively about healthy salads in chapter 3 of my book  Feel Better Everyday.