The Everyday Salad

If you’ve been following along here for any length of time, you probably know that I preach ‘a smoothie a day promotes health to stay.’ Well, I’m still a believer in that philosophy but I’m also a huge believer in eating salad everyday too! The health benefits of salads are pretty much endless but I love them for a few key reasons:

1. They are a great source of fiber- Most Americans don’t consume nearly enough fiber and that can cause a ton of digestive issues. I’ve noticed that when I eat a salad daily, i’m more regular and my digestion is better throughout the day.

2. Raw vegetables provide a ton of nutrients- Cooked veggies are great but when heating fruits/veggies, you lose some of the nutrients. By eating raw veggies everyday, you are getting as much nutrients as possible.

3. Protects against heart disease- Studies show that eating at least 1-2 cups of leafy greens daily will help to protect against heart disease. The antioxidants and nutrients in salads just can’t be beat!

Here’s how I like to make my salads:

1. Greens- I like to use a mixture of spinach, mixed romaine, kale, and arugula!

2. Cooked Protein- my protein of choice for salads is either sautéed tofu or roasted chickpeas but you can definitely add a meat option in there as well. I like to include a cooked ingredient to my salad because it keeps the entire meal from being cold.

3. Healthy fat- nothing Beats 1/2 of an avocado in your salad! Thats my favorite way to incorporate a healthy fat but you can also use nuts/seeds.

4. Citrus- I love squeezing 1/2 of lemon into my homemade dressing for my daily salad.

5. Toppings- I love adding chopped carrots and cherry tomatoes to the top!

Obviously you can add whatever you would like to your salads but these are just my go-to’s. I try to keep these ingredients in hand at all times so I can whip up a yummy salad quickly and without much thought. I also make my own salad dressing weekly to keep costs down and to avoid all the additive in store-bought dressing. Here is my go-to recipe for salad dressing:

Everyday Salad Dressing

14 cup avocado or olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 Tbs lemon juice

2 cloves raw garlic

salt & pepper to taste

I hope this inspires you to add more salads into your daily diet! I’d love to see what salads you create! If you make one, take a picture and tag me on insta @livewellwithlo !