Our family menu and eating habits have been forever changed. In my life B. After our 2 daughters were born, I decided to throw my Passport in a drawer and focus on kids, cooking, crafting, and comedy. My mission is to teach my family that delicious food IS healthy food, and I blog our sometimes hilarious learning curve at Wisdom Comes Suddenly.
I found this food preference odd, because my children are adventurous eaters. Upon turning my back on Kelly at 10 months of age, she grabbed and devoured my taco. I started by asking them to play Sous Chef at dinner prep one evening, giving them a bright pile of spinach to stem and tear. To experiment, I started packing undressed spinach salads with almonds and mandarin oranges in their lunch boxes. I began to see the light at the end of the salad tunnel.
Emboldened with new knowledge, I stair-stepped my daughters to wilted spinach spaghetti, spinach and sweet sausage lasagna, and finally, the piece de resistance, creamed spinach.
This inquisition encouraged my kids to explore the depth of food and food combinations. Our favorite family salad evolved more organically. From the six ingredients you should always include to her thoughts on pre-boxed salad greens, here are her bookmark-worthy tips. Gaby Dalkin: Here's the deal It's all about really crafting something gorgeous, and guess what? It takes no time at all. There are a few basics:. Add some various vegetables with different textures. You can add them raw; you can add some leftover grilled veg, extra roasted sweet potatoes from dinner two nights ago GD: I really support making your own salad dressing.
It's super easy, and I do it once a week on Sunday afternoons, so I have it on hand for the week. I store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it as needed. Super easy and way healthier!
GD: I buy it all! Depending on where I am, I'll grab free-form lettuce from the farmers market, a box of triple-washed spinach or baby kale from Whole Foods, or a bag of organic romaine lettuce from any other market.
I always try to look through the boxes and bags to make sure the lettuce looks as fresh as possible. Sometimes if one or two pieces look a little wonky, I'll skip that bag and move to the next! Baby spinach, sliced Persian cucumbers, a whole avocado, and my mom's balsamic vinaigrette dressing that's in my cookbook! If I have any leftover roasted veggies, they are going in this too! It's my go-to for every night, and it works with any main dish!
Photo: Gaby Dalkin. Depending on the season, I want a majorly loaded salad with fresh fruits, vegetables, and a little protein. Maybe some fresh strawberries that are at the peak of their season, grilled chicken or salmon, avocado naturally and a really easy vinaigrette! Adding sliced strawberries , peaches, or pineapple is a good start.
All fruit tastes great with greens and tends to pair well with vinaigrettes as well as creamy dressings. Get in the kitchen and make yourself a wilted kale salad with fresh figs and oranges or Cajun hummus coleslaw with currants and green grapes. Corn, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower are all tasty options. Try an eccentric vegan Caesar salad or a tangy curried chickpea salad! Make your salad taste and feel like a warming stir-fry without the need for cooking anything by wilting your greens.
Simple cut your greens finely and add them to a bowl with your choice of marinade — soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and balsamic vinaigrette are all tasty options. You can also create a cooked effect for your salads by marinating some of the ingredients that you plan to combine with your greens. For example, soak sliced mushrooms in teriyaki sauce, or broccoli and peppers in olive oil and garlic. You can also marinade your dried fruit until it gets plump and juicy.
Let your ingredients soak for at least 30 minutes before adding them to your salad. Your kitchen will look a lot brighter with a magical kale salad in it. Grains such as brown rice, quinoa , and millet are excellent additions to salad because they lend a nutty flavor and indulgent texture while also increasing protein intake at the same time.
Cook your grains as you normally would and throw a half a cup of them right on top of your salad before you add the dressing. Legumes like lentils are also a heart healthy choice for salad toppings. A note of caution: dressing can take your salad from healthy to the equivalent of a candy bar.
If you're trying to achieve maximum nutritional benefits from your salad, look for the light dressing options on the menu, or a simple squirt of lemon juice and olive oil does the trick. ProTip: Ask to try dressings before you commit! Many establishments are willing to give you a sample or two.
Better yet, ask for dressing on the side. That way you can use as much as you want, and you're not stuck with it if you start to get sick of it. Have you ever eaten a salad and then an hour later you find yourself pounding chips in your room?
That's because you neglected a crucial aspect or your meal-- protein. The whole reason you're eating this salad is to provide you with energy to continue on with your day, so it is absolutely necessary to put some protein into your body. Simply put, your salad sucks.
The tastes are just boring and you are just miserable while you're eating it. The trick is to add some fun, flavorful ingredients to make eating healthy more enjoyable.
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