When you start a diet you hear the world salad and you thing of foods that will but your taste buds in a coma.
We all think that if we eat salad we will lose weight, however we all make the same mistakes when it comes to eating salads to lose weight. We normally use iceberg lettuce with a few carrots maybe some celery and tomatoes then we top it with a heavy, calorie filled dressing. This is why most people eating salads do not get the results that they desire due to the calorie filled dressing and the tasteless non-fulfilling iceberg lettuce.
Believe it or not you can get a flavorful component that never leave your mouth underwhelmed or your stomach growling and they deliver a helping of good for you nutrients.
Start with the base for your salad, do not use iceberg lettuce as there is very little nutrients in iceberg lettuce and it does seem to put test buds in a coma. Instead of iceberg try a robust dark greens they will add a power nutrients such as foliate and vitamins A, C and K. If you are picking whole grains for your base of the salad they will add fiber and complex carbs.
Pick one of these:
1 1/2 cup Romaine, Bibb, Boston, Frisee, Spinach or Arugula (or you can mix them up)
1/2 cup cooked grains such as quinoa or whole-grain couscous
1 to 2 ounces of soba noodles or whole-wheat linguine
Now it is time to pump your salads up with protein. Protein provides the belly-filling satisfaction that transforms a side salad into a main dish. Make sure you pick a lean sources such as chicken, fish, beans or tofu.
Pick one of these:
2 ounces of fish, such as smoked, canned or fresh salmon, trout, or smoked blue fish.
5 large shrimp, or 2 ounces of lump crabmeat
3 ounces skinless chicken breast broiled or grilled
1/4 to 1 cub cooked beans such as garbanzo, cannellini or black
2 ounces of marinated or cooked tofu
Color, and more color vibrant produce doesn’t just make your salad look pretty it also ensures your dish is loaded with vitamins and other nutrients. Just one quarter of a red bell pepper provides more than 40% of the vitamin A you need daily.
Pick one or more of these:
1/4 cup red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red, yellow , orange or green tomato which equals about 1 medium tomato
1/4 cup chopped red, golden, or Chioggia beets
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1 to 2 medium slices red onion.
Time to get a bit soft, a touch of softness gives a salad balance and texture and makes it extra satiating. A soft cheese also provides calcium and protein, plus a hint of saltiness.
Pick one of these:
1 to 2 teaspoons soft cheese such as feta, goat or blue cheese
1/8 avocado
1 heart of palm
Now it is time to put some spice, tart or sweet ingredients into the salad to add depth and complexity.
Pick one of these:
1/4 cup citrus fruit, such as fresh orange, pear, or grapefruit
Tangy veggies such as radishes, scallions, chives, grated or pickled ginger, or jalapeno to taste
Time has come to top it all off with some crunch. Crispy crunchy ingredients wake up your palate and are a perfect contrast to soft greens, noodles and grains.
Try one of these:
1 to 2 teaspoons nuts such as pecans, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia, almonds or pine nuts.
1 to 2 teaspoons seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, or poppy
1/8 cup whole-grain croutons
For the grand finish let’s add a low calorie dressing such as one of these.
Pick this one if you are using chicken
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. honey
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Pick this one if you have fruit in our salad
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
1 Tbsp. of orange juice
1 1/2tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. orange zest
2 Tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. sugar
If you need to spice your dressing up a little bit pick this one
1 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Large pinch of chili powder
2 tsp. of white wine vinegar
Now that your taste buds are out of their coma start enjoying your salads.