Trying to lean out for the summer? Then it’s time to start ditching all those warming comfort foods and start eating lighter cooling meals.
Salads are so simple! It’s so fun experiment with all the different vegetable and fruit combinations that you’d have to try very hard to get bored of them. So stock up on a multitude of salad items and get creative!
Here’s a grocery list and prep guide that you can use to get started:
| Greens and Main Vegetable | Toppers | Protein |
| Mixed Greens | Grated Carrots | Feta Cheese |
| Baby lettuces | Chopped Cabbage | Goats Cheese |
| Romaine Lettuce, wash, dry and roll in a cotton cloth for quick access | Diced Chives | Grilled Chicken |
| Spinach | Diced Shallots | Grilled Fish |
| Kale | Grated Beets | Nuts and Seeds (small amount mixed in with another protein source) |
| Arugula washed | Chopped Cucumber | Grilled Steak |
| Green Beans, cooked | Chopped Celery | Hard Boiled Eggs |
| Quinoa, soaked & cooked | Baby Tomatoes | Tuna or Salmon |
| Chopped Strawberries and other berries | Sardines and Smoked Oysters | |
| Sliced Apples | ||
| Raising, Dried Cranberries, Dried Figs (small handful!) | ||
| Chopped Avocados | ||
| Red & Red Peppers, chopped | ||
| Artichoke hearts | ||
| Broccoli chopped | ||
| Olives | ||
| Chopped kale |
*Choose organic as much as possible!
Not big on making your own salad dressing? Skip the store bought stuff which is usually high in sugar and made with unhealthy vegetable oil (yes, even many organic kinds too), and just keep a bottle of good olive oil, lemons and sea salt handy at home and work and just sprinkle some on for a quick healthy dressing. Don’t get discouraged if you add too much of one ingredient the first few times, with practice you can easily learn the perfect amount.
Here are five of my favorite salads that you can start enjoying this coming week:
WARM BEAN & WALNUT SALAD
– 1 1/2 pounds Green Beans, (ends removed)
– 1 cup Raw Walnuts, chopped
– 1/2 Red Onion, diced
– 2 garlic cloves (small), minced
– 1 cup Goat Milk Feta, crumbled
– olive oil
– balsamic vinegar
– salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
Fill large pot with water (about half way) and bring to a boil over med heat. Add the green beans and cook for 4 min. Drain the beans and place immediately into a bowl filled with water and ice to stop the cooking process.
Place drained beans in a large bowl. Top with walnuts, onions, garlic and feta, and toss. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a good splash of balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper to taste. Toss again until well incorporated.
some from the bottom of the bowl. Serve warm or cold.
– Feta and garlic will tend to sit at the bottom of the bowl, so when you serve make sure to scoop some from the bottom of the bowl.
MEDITERRANEAN STYLE QUINOA SALAD
– 1 cup quinoa
– 2 water
– 1 cup broccoli, cut into small pieces
– 1/2 cup parsley
– 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
– 1/2 cup goat or sheep’s milk feta cheese
– 1/4 cup black olives* (approx 10), finely chopped
– 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
– 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
– 2 tbsp. olive oil
– 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
– 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
– 1/4 tsp. sea salt
– pepper to taste
TIPS: * I use kalamata packed in olive oil
METHOD:
Put quinoa and water in a pot and cook for about 15 min. Set aside in a bowl to cool for about 10 min.
Once cooled top quinoa with chopped vegetables, oil, balsamic, lemon and salt & pepper.
Mix to combine.
Keeps in the fridge for several days and actualy tastes better the next day when the flavours have had time to absorb into the quinoa.
STEAK AND ARUGULA SALADCHICKEN, FIG AND MUSHROOM SALAD
MIXED GREENS WITH BEETS & WALNUTS
– 2 cups mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, baby lettuces)
– 1 strip marinated organic tempeh, cut into small pieces * (see previous recipe)
– 1 small cooked beet chopped or grated raw beet
– 1 tbsp dried cranberries (sulfate & sugar free)
– 4-6 slices of thinly sliced red onion
– 5 raw organic Walnuts, left whole or chopped
– 1/4 cup bean sprouts
– 1 heaping tbsp organic goat cheese to top (optional if you’re vegan)
METHOD:
In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients.
Dress with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, some sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Mix and enjoy.
Serves 1, but double or triple to serve the whole family
