A Salad a Day: A Week's Worth of Yummy Salads

Last month, I really started to inspect what I was eating. I eat healthy food a majority of the time, but my biggest problem is simply not eating enough. Especially during the school year, I know all too well how difficult it gets to eat healthily, and eat enough. I also know that if you are a college student like me, working one or more jobs, it becomes easier and easier to slip down a slope of 'convenience eating'. Snacks, store-bought food, and processed foods are what you're practically forced to consist on. But not anymore!

I've decided that each month, I'm going to try to conquer a new diet goal. Keep in mind that when I used the word 'diet' in this entry, I'm not talking about the short-term, quick-fix, deliberately deprecating 'diet' that everyone in the western world has come to know and hate, I'm talking about the nourishing, eating-real-food, what you do for a lifetime 'diet'. This entry is (very, very) late in the making, but I still wanted to do it, because I had a lot of fun with it, feel like I legitimately improved my health, and think that others will benefit from it too.

My goal for the month of March was to eat more vegetables and fruit. Now, if you know me, you know that I really have no problem eating fruits and vegetables. I love them! However, what I find most challenging is not getting bored with what I'm eating (Costco's Normandy vegetable mix can only keep you entertained for so many weeknight dinners), and having the time to eat. Lately, I've been either eating a little snack for lunch, or skipping it altogether and having a pastry or something before work. Not good. So, to solve this problem, I decided I would pack or make myself a lunch salad a day for one week.

I made each of these salads with the same spring greens mix you can get at pretty much any grocery store, and I still had some left over at the end of the week. Definitely feel free to use any kind of lettuce, greens, or salad mix you like. I prefer the spring mixes because the greens used go well with everything, and they also contain a lot more nutrients than, say, ice berg lettuce. I already had all of the ingredients in each of these at home, making this even easier (and cheaper!) to make! Do know that these are not necessarily 'low-calorie' salads, since the point of this was to increase my consumption of something good for me rather than decreasing something bad. Nevertheless, all of the dressings and ingredients are generally lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats, and I have added no additional salt.

Easter Salad with Lemon Pepper Vinaigrette

 Salad
2 cups spring greens mix
1 boiled egg, chopped
1 oz (about the size of two fingers) ham, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
1 tsp shredded parmesan cheese
Dressing
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
Dash of cracked black pepper
Pinch of sugar

Whisk dressing together until opaque and creamy looking. Drizzle over salad and toss to distribute ingredients. Enjoy with a piece of fresh fruit or whole-wheat bread.

Southwest Strawberry Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Salad
2 cups spring green mix
1/2 cup cooked and drained black beans, homemade or canned, but get low-sodium or sodium-free!
1/4 cup cooked and cooled corn kernels
3 or 4 strawberries, diced
2 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 Tbsp shredded Mexican cheese blend

Dressing
2 Tbsp plain, fat free yogurt
1 tsp chipotle flakes, or 1/2 tsp. jarred chipotle
Pinch of dried garlic powder
Pinch of ground cumin
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash of hot sauce
Water




Spray or drizzle 1/4 tsp olive oil into a small frying pan. Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch wide strips, then cut into thirds. Saute strips until lightly browned. If you have more time, you can also bake them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes.
Whisk together dressing, adding water until desired consistency is reached (mine was like ranch dressing) and let stand for two minutes to allow the flavor of the chipotle flakes to leach into the yogurt. Stir once more before drizzling over salad and tossing together. Add tortilla strips and toss once more just before eating or serving. Enjoy!

Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad with Sesame Peanut Ginger Dressing

Salad
2 cups spring green mix
3 oz. (about the size of four fingers) grilled chicken, diced
1 large carrot, shredded or diced small
2 cutie oranges
1/4 cup purple cabbage, shredded 
2 green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp candied ginger, chopped
2 fresh mint leaves and 2 fresh basil leaves, minced (optional)

Dressing
1 Tbsp unsweetened peanut butter
1/2 Tbsp coconut milk
2 tsp sesame oil (if you don't have sesame oil, olive oil is fine, as well)
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1/8 tsp. candied ginger

Mix together dressing, and add water until desired consistency. It will be pretty thick if you don't add water. Drizzle over salad and toss to distribute ingredients. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of tossed salad.

Orchard Fruit Salad with Creamy Lemon Lavender Dressing

Salad
2 cups spring greens mix
1 small apple, 1/2 diced, and 1/2 cut into slices (or you can just dice them all)
2 Tbsp raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp dried cranberries
2 Tbsp raisins

Dressing
2 Tbsp plain, fat free yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dried lavender flowers (you can usually find these with bulk spices. If you can't find them, this salad would still be great with just the sweet lemon dressing.)

Whisk together dressing to muddle the lavender flowers and let stand 2 minutes before stirring once more to distribute the flavor. Pour over salad and toss. Top with the remaining slices of the apple.

Grazing Goat Salad with Simple Vinaigrette

Salad
2 cups spring green mix
1 roma tomato, sliced
1/2 avocado, cubed
2 Tbsp sliced black olives
2 Tbsp goat cheese

Dressing
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Pinch of garlic powder

Whisk together oil and vinegar until emulsified (it should no longer be clear, and there shouldn't be any separation of oil). Add pepper and garlic and whisk once more before drizzling over salad. Toss, then sprinkle goat cheese over top.  

Black Bean and Avocado Salsa with Goat Cheese

Salad
1 avocado, cubed
1 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 cup rinsed and drained black beans
1 tsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp goat cheese
Dash of cracked black pepper

No dressing for this one! Simply combine ingredients, sprinkle with goat cheese, and enjoy. Also makes a great vegetarian taco filling.

And what would we do without a dessert salad...?

Fresh Berry Mojito Salad

Salad
1 1/4 cup quartered strawberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1/2 tsp. fresh minced mint leaves

Dressing
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp. honey

Toss together dressing, fruit, and mint leaves until combined. Let stand 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld, or if you really can't wait, enjoy right away! :) This goes great all on its own, with a slice of angel food or pound cake, or with a dollop of whipped cream.
 






So there you go, a week's worth of deliciously fresh, simple, and healthy salads to give you that extra one or two servings of fruit or vegetables every day. Prepare to feel more energized, happy, and brighter! But don't stop with these, experiment on your own with different oils, spices, juices and vinegars, proteins, cheeses, vegetables, and fruits. I would love to see what other people come up with!