Super Salads

Soup or salad? Depends what the soup of the day is, right? Wrong.  Unless you're getting a soup and salad meal, try and always go with salad - for a number of reasons.  Salt is a huge one.  Almost all of us consume far too much sodium and soups are more often than not going to have a higher sodium count than salads.  Second, typical Americans reach only about half of the daily recommendation for vegetable and fruit consumption.  So get to eating those salads - and get creative with it!  The options we have for creating tasty combos are almost infinite.  Here are some general tips and personal favorites:


General Tips:
*Make any salad a meal by increasing the portion size and/or adding a 3 ounce filet of Salmon, Chicken, Shrimp, Boiled Eggs, or Plant Protein (black beans, lentils, etc.) - all delicious!
*Try Vinegar and Olive Oil for dressing - 1 Tbsp of each (Balsamic, Red Wine, Apple Cider Vinegar)
*If it's not your main dish, eat a salad BEFORE your meal.
*Watch out for toppings that cause a salad to essentially lose it's health benefits if used in excess: dried fruit, full-fat cheeses, creamy dressing, meats (fried chicken, bacon, ham, etc.), or more than a serving of nuts.

Personal Favorites (as a side or main dish):
*Romaine lettuce, Pear slices (slightly under ripe), Walnuts (one serving - usually a handful), Gorgonzola Cheese, Newman's Own Light Raspberry and Walnut Vinaigrette
*Avocado, Corn, Tomato, Cucumber, Red Wine Vinegar, and Oil - not every salad has to have lettuce!
*Spring Mix Lettuce, Asparagus, Almonds, Lemon Zest, T. Marzetti's Lite Balsamic
*Green Leaf Lettuce, Strawberries, Cucumber, Walnuts, Reduced Fat Mild Cheddar (or Gorgonzola), and Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
*Romaine Lettuce, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Dates, Pine Nuts, Gorgonzola (or Bleu) Cheese, and T. Marzetti's Lite Balsamic


Can't get enough of it!: Somethin' Bout a Truck - Kip Moore


Enjoy!