Welcome Summer Salad
I posted this pic to Facebook over the weekend and got lots of oohs and ahhs so I thought I’d share with you how to make it right at home.
This salad wasn’t planned or expected, rather I was just feeling like I needed a serious intake of veggies. Throughout my pregnancy I’ve been craving dairy products (which I’ve never really been too crazy about before) and I’ve been listening to my body. In fact, I often wake up in the middle of the night and chug a glass of milk and go right back to sleep! This is great as I undoubtedly need the extra calcium, except dairy can lead to excess mucus and an overall feeling of heaviness in the body, especially this time of year when allergies are at their worst.
So, what’s the solution? Greens of course! These bad boys help clear out mucus in the lungs, purify the blood and seriously get things moving, if you know what I mean. Add in some other super foods like beets, blueberries and avocado and you’re ready to rock and roll. My cleansers are going to love this!
My approach to salads in general is ad-hoc. Most of the time, I prefer not to use recipes and just go with what I have on hand. This weekend we had avocado, roasted beets and haricot vert (french green beans) as well as some good ole’ red lettuce and tomato. One of my hands down favorite additions to a salad is fruit so I threw in a generous handful of blueberries to give it an extra kick of antioxidants and sweetness.
I topped it off with some crushed pecans, a light vinaigrette and a dash of S and P (sidenote: I can’t tell you how many people I know skip the salad dressing thinking they are doing something good for their health. Healthy fats help the body absorb all those nutrients people, so be sure you don’t skimp on the nuts or salad dressing when eating healthy!! Just avoid the fake, lo-cal dressings and go for good quality oil– olive oil and balsamic are a great choice. Ok?).
Welcome Summer Salad
Red lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces
1 sliced roasted beet
1 cup raw haricot vert or green beans, chopped
1 small avocado, thinly sliced
generous handful of blueberries
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup crushed pecans
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbs vinaigrette of choice
Ps. The leftover strawberry-rhubarb compote I made in a previous post made some terrific muffins last weekend too! Check it out!
