The Art of Pumping up your Salad

When embarking on healthy lifestyle changes many turn to healthy salads.  Sadly, a lot of the salads and salad dressings on the market are quite unhealthy.   When people clue into this they take their salad making to the extreme in the opposite direction and become what some of us call the salad martyrs. These individuals make salads devoid of caloric and nutrient dense ingredients and flavour.  Their salads don’t satisfy their hunger and are downright boring.  I can’t image how sad and depressing it would be sitting in a lunch room or with friends consuming one’s boring salad while they indulge in all the unhealthy addictive foods and feeling so hungry.  

The great news!  This does not have to be case.   Welcome to the Art of pumping up your salads. 

Choose nutrient dense and caloric dense ingredients, like seeds (for crunch) & legumes for resistant starches that will give you the energy to get you through the afternoon with stable sugar levels, regulated blood pressure and healthy digestion.   Add in some colour with veggies that smell and look delish, some whole grains like quinoa or wild rice for added texture and added fibre and nutrients.  You can also add in some Lacto fermented foods like pickles (choose wisely), or sauerkraut for your probiotics.  Top with a homemade creamy dressing (made with cashews, healthy nut butters or seed butters with tons of flavour).   Be super creative and make your salad a complete balanced meal that will get you through the afternoon!   Here is my recipe for a classic pumped up salad, although not colourful it smells delish.
Ingredients:
Main: (makes 1 serving)

• 2 cups leafy greens
• ½ cup tofu or baked/roasted chicken cut into strips or chunks.
• ¼ cup of beans (chickpeas, black beans, lentils…)
• 1 tbsp. hemp seeds

Dressing: (makes 2, 2 oz., servings)

• 1 clove of garlic
• 1-inch fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp. tahini
• 2 tbsp. white miso
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• Water to desired consistency

Directions:

• Prep main ingredients and add to a bowl
• Blend dressing in a high-powered blender, add 2 oz. of the dressing to your salad

Dana Clark, CNHP, CHC, CHN, CLE, owner of From the Roots Holistic

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