my less serious tips: on balanced and filling salads

I make damn good salads - if I do say so myself.

Today's tips: how to create a balanced, filling, and exciting salad, my less serious style.

Figure 1. A spinach and romaine salad with roasted Brussels sprouts, grape tomatoes, carrots, an over-easy egg, white wine vinegar, and Sriracha.

Tip #1. Start with a mound of greens. Ignore the concerned faces of your friends and family as you pile unreasonably large amounts of leafy greens into your bowl. Fact is, greens are great for you and they fill you up. My favorite choices are spinach, romaine, green cabbage, and spring mix.

Tip #2. Add more vegetables to your vegetables. More vegetables create a more exciting and nutritious salad. I love adding leftover roasted vegetables (I try and save some from the night before) to bulk up my salad. Other favorites include tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and carrots. If this step requires you to transfer your salad to a mixing bowl because it has grown so large, do not be afraid.

 Figure 2. A spinach and spring mix salad with grape tomatoes, raw green cabbage, yellow bell peppers, chopped dates, peanuts, hummus, and balsamic vinegar.

Tip #3. Add a protein source. If you want your salad to have any staying power, you must add a protein source. My favorites include veggie burgers, beans, nuts, hummus, eggs, cheese, avocado, tofu, and nutritional yeast. Without protein, your salad is nothing.

Tip #4. Add something that makes you happy (fun/fat/crunchy source). Your salad should make you happy, and for me that means adding something I am craving and usually includes something with crunch. I try and also to make this a source of healthy fats and/or protein. My favorites include nuts, cheese (goat/feta), and dried fruit.

 Figure 3. A spinach salad with grape tomatoes, leftover roasted broccoli, red onion, chickpeas, and salt & pepper cashews tossed in white wine vinegar, salt, and dried Italian herbs.

Tip #5. You don't always need 'dressing'. Salad dressing is so last year. Instead, I prefer adding something that can do double-duty as a source of protein and/or healthy fat (hummus, runny egg yolk) or something with low/no calories (vinegar, dried herbs, Sriracha, ketchup, salsa) because I would prefer to add more toppings instead. My favorite 'dressings' are vinegar (balsamic or white wine), hummus (globs or thinned with milk), runny eggs, ketchup (pairs well with veggie burgers), and Sriracha (pairs well with eggs).

Previous my less serious tips:

• on morning exercise
• on healthy evening snacking