Salads are my go-to meal for lunch. They are something I crave daily and helps me feel nourished. I like to make lunch my biggest meal of the day and load it up with nutrient-dense foods. Eating a salad every day helps me reach my goals for the food we are supposed to be eating daily. There are a few rules I follow in order to build the perfect nutritious salad. First, I start with a big pile of leafy lettuce. Then I pick items from the categories below.
Cruciferous Superfoods
Cruciferous vegetables contain a compound that has powerful anti-cancer effects, reduces inflammation, and detoxifies the body from carcinogens and oxidative stress. This compound is released by blending, chopping, or chewing. I chop my salads to help this process and am doing my best to practice mindful eating and focus on how good the food tastes in order to slow down my chewing process.
Cruciferous foods include:
- Shredded Kale
- Watercress
- Arugula
- Shredded cabbage
- Baby Bok Choy
- Collards
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
Onion Family
Onions, along with leeks, garlic, chives, shallots, and scallions, make up the Allium family. Allium vegetables have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular and immune system, as well as anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects. Similar to cruciferous vegetables, Allium vegetables effects are released when they are chopped, crushed or chewed.
Allium vegetables include:
- Red or yellow onions
- Scallions
- Shallots
- Roasted garlic
Add-ins
To give your salad an extra boost of yumminess and nutrition I always add in some of my favorite veggies.
Four of my go-to salad add-ins are beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, and sprouts.
I like adding
Another great add-in is mushrooms. Mushrooms don’t always get the respect they deserve, but they are actually a superfood! Mushrooms have immune-boosting effects thought to protect against infections and cancers.
Tomatoes are always a great option when you are making any salad. They are rich in Vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and many flavonoid antioxidants. Additionally, a relationship has been found between eating more tomatoes and a lower risk of certain cancers. Did you know that tomatoes should be kept at room temperature? Refrigeration negatively affects their flavor and texture.
Microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs. Did you know they are concentrated with four to 40 times more nutrients than their mature counterparts? Yes, it's true - cabbage microgreens have 40 times more Vitamin E and six times more Vitamin C than the mature cabbage.
Sprouts are different than micro greens, but also an awesome option. Sprouts are so good for you because sprouted seeds are richer in calcium, vitamin C, and antioxidant compounds than their unsprouted counterparts, and the protein is often more digestible.
Some add-ins for you salad:
- Beans
- Lightly cooked mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Corn
- Carrots and beets
- Zucchini
- Avocado
- Tofu
- Micro-greens
- Sprouts
- Peas
Dressing
Now this is super important, dressing can make or break any salad. For an oil-free dressing, I oscillate between vinegar and nut-based dressings. I love to make my own dressing because I can change up the flavor and make it exactly how I like it. I like to start out with ¼-½ cup of healthy fats, this can include any type of nut or seed; usually I do half cashews or walnuts and half hemp seeds. Then I’ll add in a little bit of tartness either lemon juice or some type of vinegar. After adding in a little bit of tang, fruit is the perfect way to sweeten a dressing, I like to use dates, berries, apples, or raisins. I like my dressings really liquidy so I’ll add in a lot of water or nut milk to make it runny. Finally, I'll flavor my dressings with garlic, herbs, seasonings, and pepper. Click here for a homemade honey mustard recipe.
For the days that using the blender is just not going to happen, I keep this Walnut Vinaigrette on hand.
My favorite stand-alone go-to vinegars (I also love to use these for oil-free sautéing!):
- Flavored Vinegars - shout out Lemon Basil
- Savory Fig Balsamic - I get this one at whole foods, so good!
- California Balsamics - I love the teriyaki and 7-herb Italian
NOTE: eating nuts and seeds with your vegetables enhances the body's absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. You absorb 5-8x the anti-cancer phytochemicals you'd get without the seeds. That being said, if I do not opt to use a nut-based dressing, I sprinkle about 1tbsp of ground flax seeds atop my salad!
What are some of your favorite veggies to include in your salad? Let me know!
Yours truly,
Cara