Salads

On my last blog post, I had a comment about how to choose veggies for a salad, and how to add more veggies to menus for those resistant to eating them.  I try to keep salad making as easy as possible, but still loaded enough with good stuff to make a full meal.  My typical salad would start with an organic spring salad or kale mix.  This way I get different flavors without having to buy separate varieties.  I rinse the lettuce and put it in a large ceramic serving bowl.  I usually add onions, carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and any other fresh vegetables that I have on hand.  I cover it lightly with tin foil, and it stays in the refrigerator for many days.  I usually take a salad for lunch -so in the morning I put it a pyrex bowl and add olives, red pepper flakes, and many times a protein like chicken, turkey or a hard boiled egg.  I may put a small amount of dressing or salsa on it in the morning.  At lunch time, I would add avocado, sunflower seeds, and warm rice and beans.  Salads are so versatile - you can add warm or cold toppings to them - even put the salad over a baked potato.  I also recommend using a lot of spice if you are not a big fan of vegetables.  I like garlic pepper, celtic sea salt, red hot sauce, and more. If you need to start by using extra dressing to get used to the taste of the vegetables - that works - just try to cut back over time.  If you can make your own dressing out of flax oil or olive oil with lemon and a splash of apple cider vinegar, that is ideal.  For a creamy dressing, avocados work great. There are more and more good dressings out there now - look for ones that do not have soy or corn oils in them.  When trying to get used to the taste of any veggies, it is sometimes necessary to begin by adding butter, cheese, or other sauces to begin with.  As you ease into the flavors of the vegetables, you can cut back on the fats. Use lots of spice -  Check out my salad page for even more ideas.  I will try to add more tips and pics as time goes on.  Have a great day!

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