Simply Salad

Salads are a crucial staple for eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. In Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman says to make the salad the main dish. They are a fantastic way to get in lots of health promoting nutrients! 

And I like salads. I really do. But, sometimes they get…boring…time consuming…complicated. 

As a college student, I don’t always have the time, space, and ingredients needed to make the complicated (albeit delicious) salads that my mom makes at home. I have found a basic formula to be the perfect solution. This way, I don’t have to spend too much time finding recipes and overly specific ingredients. I can throw together a salad with whatever I have on hand. It can be as simple or as complicated as I want or have time for. 

The Salad: 

Greens. Greens. Greens!

     The more the merrier. Experiment. Mix and match. Find your favorites. My favorite lettuce for salads is romaine, but there are so many options including green leaf, red leaf, spinach, kale, arugula, collards. 

Veggies. Veggies. Veggies! 

     Again, the more is better. Use whatever veggies you have on hand. Celery, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, radishes, cauliflower, carrots, jicama, corn, beets, peas, bell peppers (I love bell peppers!).

Fresh fruit, dried fruit 

     Any kind works: mango, apples, pears, raisins, oranges, pineapple. (This is my favorite part of the salad. They add a special sweetness.) 

Beans, lentils  

     Sometimes after eating a salad of just veggies, I get hungry again soon. These help keep me satisfied for hours. 

Nuts, seeds 

     These also help with satiety. 

Optional dressings 

     With so many other toppings, decide whether or not you feel the need for anything more. Sometimes just a squirt of lemon or orange juice does the trick. 

My organization system for a quick salad: 

Chop veggies in advance. Put them all in a container with a paper towel and keep them in the fridge to pull out whenever. 

Wash lettuces in advance. Put them in a ziploc bag with a paper towel and keep them in the fridge to pull out whenever. Or get pre-washed lettuces. 

This way I can just pull out the lettuce and veggies, chop up a fruit, and add some nuts.

A few recipe ideas, simple to more complex depending on how much time you have:

Simple: 

Romaine lettuce 

1 apple (diced)
1 oz. walnuts 

A bit more variety: 

Green leaf lettuce 

1/2 cucumber (diced)

1/2 bell pepper (diced)

1 stalk celery (diced) 

1/4 cup corn 

1/4 cup black beans 

1/4 cup kidney beans 

All out: 

Romaine lettuce 

Spinach  

1 mango (sliced)                                                

1/8 cup jicama (diced)                                           

1/8 cup cucumber (diced)                                             

1/4 cup bell pepper (diced)

1 stalk celery (diced) 

1/8 cup carrots (chopped)
1/8-1/4 cup raisins 

1/2-1 oz. pecans
squirt of orange juice 

For each of them, lay down the lettuce on your plate or bowl, then add all the toppings.

Here is a salad I made last minute with whatever I had on hand.

Salad it up and enjoy :)