Eating well is an every day commitment. We all know that. It not only requires time, effort and planning but also creativity to ensure we stay on track. Salads are easy to put together and a mainstay in any weight loss/maintenance plan but they get boring… fast. With that in mind, we have pulled together some ideas to keep your salads interesting to help keep you on track long-term.
Salad base:
Take a walk down to your local farmers market and pick up a different base to your salad rather than the usual iceberg lettuce. The market in late summer and fall will be full of leafy greens like arugula (that has a subtle garlic flavour), butter lettuce (need we say more?) or Mache, otherwise known as lamb’s lettuce”. All of these options will add a completely unique twist and flavour to your usual.
Fruits and nuts:
Get creative about what you can add to your salad in terms of proteins and a sweet and sour combination. Some options to consider are cranberries, strawberries, pears and apples on the fruit end. The tartness of these options will balance out the pine nuts, almonds, walnuts or pecans you could also add.
Healthy Fats:
Slice up a ripe avocado and throw that in to any salad creation and you’ve instantly amped up your creation and have added in some healthy fats.
Dressing:
Not only are creamy, fatty dressings unhealthy, but they also mask the flavour of the food you are eating. So try keeping it simple with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper or add a bit of walnut oil. There are many salad dressing concoctions you can throw together using what you already have in the fridge. Next time, try mixing two part olive oil, one part balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic and a teaspoon of maple syrup.
