I need to eat more vegetables!
Sound familiar?
One of the easiest ways to get more greens into your belly is to include a salad with every supper.
When you are eating By Design your plate should be stacked with a heap of veggies (most likely alongside of meat). This may be some steamed or roasted vegetables or a baked potato…but one of the easiest ways to fill up that veggie requirement is to have salad with every meal.
In our house, we often have one big salad bowl and everyone eats right out of the bowl! (Maybe a little gross)?
It is so easy to get a bit lazy and skip making the salad because it is just one more thing between you and eating your dinner, and you’ve had such a long day, and you do not feel like chopping…but it is important.
Your digestion depends on it because the bulk in the salad is what keeps things moving through your colon and there is nothing that is much better than having regular bowel movements…or much worse than not having them.
Veggies also help you to feel full longer, they feed your healthy gut bacteria, they are a great source of nutrients and phytonutrients (helping you keep that youthful glow), they can contribute to healthy bones and they are a source of magnesium which is depleted by stress and helps you sleep. And who doesn’t want that?
I am sure that I do not need to tell you how important vegetables are in your diet but since I just did, use this reminder as an opportunity.
Having a handful of quick salad recipes on hand has really made it so much easier for me to put out a salad with every dinner.
And if you are into meal prepping or doing things in advance so that you can have more time later, you can always make double the salad and leave the dressing on the side so that you have salad for tomorrow too!
Here are my five favorite salad recipes.
1. Blueberry & Goat’s Cheese Salad
Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 127 g container organic mixed greens
- 1 4 ounce container of fresh organic blueberries
- 6 fresh, organic strawberries (optional)
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup goat’s cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- Add mixed greens, blueberries, strawberries if using, and green onions to a bowl.
- Crumble goat’s cheese on top.
- Mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a separate, small jar.
- Toss salad with dressing.
Serves 4
2. The Traditional Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 1 red, yellow or orange pepper
- 1 small red onion (or half a medium), chopped fine
- 1 head organic romaine lettuce
- 6 mushrooms thinly sliced (optional)
- 6 strawberries thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Add the pepper, onion, lettuce (and mushrooms and strawberries if using) to a bowl.
- Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard in separate small container.
- Add dressing to salad and toss to combine.
Serves 4
3. The Lazy-(Wo)Man’s Salad
Prep Time: 2 minutes
- 127 g package mixed greens
- a handful of dried cranberries
- Bonfire Fish Oil, liquid form
- Add mixed greens to a bowl.
- Toss in cranberries.
- Squeeze some Bonfire fish oil on and toss.
- Serve.
Serves 4
4. Apple Pecan Kale Salad
My all-time favorite salad is the Apple Pecan Kale Salad. This is that salad…It’s the one that people ask about. The one that gets people asking “Who made this salad? Can you give me the recipe?”
The one that you keep thinking about after dinner…
It does take a bit more work, but it is totally worth it. It’s pretty, it’s delicious…and it has feta cheeseJ.
You can find that HERE.
5. By Design Broccoli Salad
And I will throw in one more delish salad for good measure…(I’m not even sure what that saying means, but it sounds about right). Check out our By Design Broccoli Salad. This one is very kid-friendly, especially if you toss in a handful of raisins!
I hope that you enjoy these salads and remember to include a salad with every meal (atleast lunch and dinner) to increase your veggie intake.
Let me know in the comments below what's your favorite go-to salad recipe?
For more simple By Design recipes why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.