Build a Better Salad

Salads are a great way to get in a variety of nutrients, are easily changed, and can be quick to prepare. I personally find I feel much better when I get in a good amount of fresh produce everyday, yet salads can provide so much more when done right! Here’s a few simple tips on making your salads a lot more nourishing.

Summer Salad with Strawberries

1. Change your ‘base’.

Break out from the tired old iceberg lettuce salad base and expand into using romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, boston lettuce, romaine, endive, cabbage, arugula, chard, and dandelion greens.The darker the color, the more densely packed with nutrients and minerals. Each type of lettuce has it’s own flavor, complimenting different vegetables and dressing. I regularly use read and green leaf lettuce as well as romaine for their nice flavor.

2. Pick a Better Dressing

Store-bought dressings are most often made using poor quality fats like soy, corn, or canola. Learn to make your own lacto fermented salad dressing for an extra nutritional punch. Lacto-fermenting helps boost the beneficial bacterial count in your digestive system and helps with digestion and overall health. Even if you don’t make them lacto-fermented, try your hand at mixing up your own so that you use only good fats and quality ingredients. Dressings are even a good place to slip in some raw, pastured egg yolks! I use them for a ranch dressing base, but one of my friends and readers also mentioned that she whisks them in to lots of different dressings.

• Avocado aioli
• Spicy ‘ranch type’ dressing
• Homemade Ranch Dressing
• Italian Dressing

And even if you don’t have a lot of ingredients on hand, a simple mix of extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar makes a simple dressing for a simple salad. One brand I can find regularly in stores that contains decent ingredients is Braggs. Be wary of the dressings you can buy at health food stores as well – they may be organic but are often made with soybean oil.

colorful spring salad

3. Be colorful

On average, try and use at least three different colors of vegetables. In doing so you’ll boost the variety of nutrients and anti-oxidants you’re consuming. Grab some different colored peppers, or try adding different fruits, and change them up often. It’s also important to choose darker colored veggies for extra nutrients.

4. Add protein

Protein is important, especially when you’re a woman of childbearing age. You need the extra protein for proper development of the baby and to prevent certain pregnancy complications. Choose pastured hardboiled eggs, a good quality cheese, beans (soaked and cooked), quinoa or rice (soaked and cooked), and healthy meats like grassfed beef, pastured chicken, and wild caught fish. You can also use chopped nuts or seeds to add in both crunch and protein.

taco salad

5. Prepare ahead of time

Taking 20 minutes to wash and chop your vegetables for the week makes it easier to prepare a quick salad for lunch or dinner when needed. I find that I can chop up a head of lettuce and keep it in the fridge (with a paper towel in the bowl) for almost a week. I chop each vegetable and place them in individual containers – making sure I chop them for “ease in eating”, meaning don’t chop them to big or you’ll be annoying eating them, use a shredder for some if desired. (I find I prefer shredded carrots to chopped)

6. Use Fat

Make sure that you add in some form of fat, whether it’s through the protein or dressing. You need the fat to help absorb all of the micronutrients in the vegetables. A good dressing can do this if your salad is void of protein, but you can also use eggs, nuts, cheese, and leftover meats.

Just a few simple changes and you’ll be on your way to building a better salad! What are your tips for adding extra nutrients to a simple ‘ol salad?

*this post is linked to Fight Back Friday

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