How to make a Salad that is Tasty and Filling.
Are you ready to learn how to make a salad that will satisfy your ravenous hunger? The main complaint people have with salads is that they are not filling enough. But this is not the salad’s fault, this is a defect in our view of what a salad should be. Today I will show you how to make a salad that is a meal and how to make it healthy, delicious and filling. This is not a recipe, this is a method which can be used to invent any salad you want. So lets talk about how to make a Salad.
How to make a Salad – The Basics
The key to a good salad is three things.
- Size- A salad should be large. 1 cup of lettuce is only 5 calories, a little bowl of salad won’t even satisfy a rabbit. So go big or go bigger. Don’t skimp on the greens.
- Color – A good salad has lots of color. The whole point of the salad is to get maximum nutrition, so lets see lots of red, yellow, orange, green and especially purple. Bright and Vibrant is the Name of the Game.
- Dressing- A good salad is nothing without a good dressing. Make your own healthy blender dressings. They take less then 5 minutes and they are healthier and far tastier then the bottled junk.
So lets get started.
How to make a Salad – Start with the Lettuce
A salad meal should be at least 5 cups of lettuce or baby greens, this is about 1 head of Romaine, Green Leaf or Red Leaf Lettuce. For an even better salad, throw in another cup or two of Spring Mix or Mixed Baby Greens or Baby Spinach. An entire head of Romaine lettuce is only 108 calories, so load on the greens.
How to make a Salad Awesome – Go crazy with the toppings!
Now pick your toppings, at least 3 but 5 or 6 is better:
Veggie fruits for a savory salad:
- Tomatoes
- Red, Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Zucchini or Yellow Squash
- Avocado
Or try a more fruit-centered salad with:
- Banana slices
- Fresh Berries
- Cherries
- Apples
- Pears
- Peaches
- Plums
- Apricots
- Nectarines
- Oranges/Tangerines/Clementines
- Grapefruit/Citrus
- Mangoes
- Papaya
- Coconut (fresh or raw dry shredded)
- Any dried fruits (No Sulfur Added)
You can also include these denser foods in smaller quantities. These foods are more difficult to digest raw and offer less nutritional value but can be used to add some nutrient variety:
- Purple Cabbage
- Shredded Beets
- Shredded Carrots
- Green Peas
- Green Beans
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- any other veggies
At least 1/4 to 1/2 cup of each.
If you are transitioning and want to add some more dense foods to your salads you can optionally add some nuts or seeds, 1/8-1/4 cup:
- Raw Pecans
- Raw Walnuts
- Raw Cashews
- Raw Almonds
- Raw Sunflower Seeds
- Raw Sesame Seeds
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds
- Raw Chia Seeds
- or any other Raw Nuts or Seeds you enjoy
Finally, add your favorite dressing!
If you are just transitioning you can start off with a store-bought dairy-free dressing or you can make your own dressing. Here are some ideas for easy blender dressings:
- Avocado + Juice of 1 or 2 limes + Cilantro (optional – cilantro is a mild irritant)
- Mango + 1 or 2 Medjool Dates (or 3-4 Deglets)
- 1 cup Blueberries + 1 or 2 Medjool Dates (or 3-4 Deglets)
- 1 large Tomato + 2 Medjool dates + a handful of fresh basil
- Sunflower Seeds Or Cashew Based Dressings – 1 cup nuts/seeds + Juice of 1 Lemon or Lime + your favorite herbs (Try Sunflower + Cilantro + Lime) Add a pinch of salt as needed.
Here are a few more ideas to make salads fun:
- Pick a theme, try a Mexican salad with cucumbers, bell pepper, tomato, and a cilantro lime dressing.
- Add finely diced fresh herbs for more flavor (or blend them into a dressing
- Add fruits, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and mangoes are all good choices.
- Add dried fruits or dehydrated vegetables for a crunchy element
- Add seaweeds for more minerals and to satisfy salt cravings while transitioning
- Try alternative salads that use other vegetables instead of greens, like shredded carrot salads, shredded beet salads, cabbage salads and kale salads
- Switch it up and have a fruit salad
- Add some fresh herbs to your fruit salad
- Invent a salad based on your favorite meal. Like burritos? Swap the burrito shell for Lettuce and add all your favorite burrito fillings. Top with salsa and guacamole instead of dressing.
As you can see there is a lot of variety and versatility in a salad, but the main key to a good salad is that it is large enough to be filling. So go get yourself a nice serving bowl, toss out the baby bowls, and have yourself a real salad today!