5 Easy Steps For A Delicious And Healthy Salad

Salad. When we begin a healthy eating and weight loss plan, that word comes up regularly, and not always with positive connotations.
The poor old salad often cops a bit of negativity when it comes to healthy eating, with many of us picturing a few straggly leaves and maybe half a bruised tomato. Not really all that appetizing!
In actual fact however, a good salad can be a delicious, filling and even decadent addition to your daily meal plan. It all comes down to what you put in your salad bowl, and the way you present your ingredients. The best thing about a salad is the opportunity it gives for meeting your daily veggie intake.
The options for what you can add in are endless, meaning you can actually get 3 (or more) of your five a day in the one meal!
By following our five easy steps, you can create a delicious and nutritious salad that’s perfect for lunch or even dinner.

5 Steps For A Great Salad

1. Choose your base – This is where you get your greens in. If you thought however that iceberg was your only option, think again. Baby spinach, rocket, shredded cabbage, Chinese greens and pretty much any robust veggie can be used as your base. You can either go raw or lightly saute of steam your greens for added flavour.
2. Add some texture – Grains like cous cous, seeds like quinoa, legumes like beans and lentils and other complex carbs like wholegrain pasta are the ideal way to bulk up your salad and make it into a meal. Cooking up a batch of your chosen option at the beginning of the week means you’ll always have a supply in the fridge to toss into your salad bowl. Cooking things like cous cous and quinoa in low sodium veggie stock adds flavour without calories.
3. Up the colour – As with many healthy dishes, the more colour you put on your plate, the better. Additions like roast sweet potato or pumpkin, beetroot chunks, shredded carrot, even veggies like radish, make great additions to your salad, bringing a whole heap of nutrients with them.
4. Choose your add ons – Adding some favourite ingredients to your salad is a great way to ensure that you enjoy your meal. Low fat fetta cheese, low fat halloumi, low fat goats cheese, homemade croutons, seeds and nuts like pepitas, cashews and almonds are all delish additions to your salad and will also help up the nutrients.
5. Pick a dressing – What you dress your salad with can make or break the taste factor. Choose a good dressing and you’re on your way to salad heaven, choose a bland or overpowering one and you might end up throwing the whole thing out. Simple combinations like olive oil and balsamic vinegar are always a winner or why not check out some of ur favourite tasty (and healthy) dressings HERE.