Nutrition
What makes a salad a complete meal is it’s components.
Summertime days are longer, hotter and our bodies crave hydrating and lighter meals. At this time of the year most of us enjoy vibrant and delicious salads but what’s important is to make sure they are nourishing and sustain our energy throughout the day.
What could you have in your salad to make it balanced and complete?
- Healthy fats: Olive Oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, flaxseed oil, avocado oil, oily fish
- Protein (Animal or vegetal): Poultry, fish, chickpeas, lentils, beans in general, tempeh, tofu
- Complex Carbs: Starchy or Root eg such as beetroot, parsnips, potatoes but also grains quinoa, brown rice, millet, buckwheat.
In need of inspiration, here are some of my favourite salad compositions. It’s literally a throw together and go!
Salad 1
Spinach, Red Cabbage, Mackerel, Shaved Carrots, Sprouts, tomatoes, roasted peppers
You can buy your mackerel already cooked or cook it yourself.
Salad 2
Spinach, cooked quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, parsley
Salad 3
Spinach, celery and tomatoes, sauteed shitake mushrooms, tahini roasted chickpeas and peeled raw zucchini.
Before putting all the ingredients together, roast your cooked chickpeas first. Take a can of chickpeas and rinse thoroughly first. Then let the chickpeas dry a few minutes, before adding 1tbsp of tahini, 1 tbsp of olive and some salt. Mix well until all the peas are well coated. Spread the chickpeas on the oven tray and roast for 15min or until they crisp a little. While they’re roasting go ahead and prepare your other ingredients.
The shitake mushrooms need to be sauted in olive oil for 5min.
Salad 4
Cooked Quinoa or Buckwheat, green beans blanched and crunchy, healthy slaw, avocado, roasted peppers. My healthy slaw is literally carrots and cabbage thinly cut with salt, 1 tbsp of tahini and a tad of honey massaged into the mix. Delicious and creamy.
When it comes to dressing most of the time I keep it very simple so Olive Oil, lemon or Apple Cider vinegar and Salt. But if I’m feeling fancy I may add some dried herbs such as Parsley, Oregano or some Turmeric.
For creamy dressing I will add a spoon of plant based yoghurt or tahini to my dressing.
