A Salad A Day

My husband and I are in the habit of eating a salad a day. This usually turns out to be a lunch time meal. Why salad? Well, the research shows that people who eat 7- 10 servings of fruits/vegetables daily, have a seriously decreased likelihood of developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes etc. Vegetables and fruits increase your dietary fibre, help you feel full without a ton of calories, and provide the body with needed vitamins and antioxidants. Salads happen to be a great way to get those veggies in and are super easy to make!

To make a great meal-salad, I like to start with a base of some kind of grain. Often this is wheat berries, quinoa, buckwheat, rice, pumpernickel bread ....you get the idea. (I typically pre-cook my grains for the week and store them in the fridge. This keeps them readily available throughout the week). Then we add some cooked beans and corn on top and give that a bit of a heat up in the microwave. On top of that we add a big helping of mixed greens (spinach, kale, butter lettuce, romaine), beets/cucumbers/tomatoes and a good scoop of hummus. For protein we'll throw some tuna/sardines/salmon/eggs on top and then sprinkle with seeds and nuts. I'm not much for dressings as I find the hummus makes a great dressing, but a sprinkle of apple cider vinegar livens it up and gives it a fresh tang.

For a sweet finish, I'll usually have a few figs, or dates.

How are you getting your daily vitamins in? Why not try out a salad meal today?