No More Sad Salads!

A bowl of salad toppings with my favorite
salad dressing

I used to get compliments on the salads that I brought to work but a couple of weeks ago someone at work - not saying any names or anything ;) -pointed out that my salad was pretty sad.  But she was right; my “salad” was basically this pathetic bowl of lettuce with a few seeds on top – nothing worthy of the name “salad”.  This year as part of my new years resolution of becoming a meal prep master, I am going to up my game when it comes to salads.  To do this, I am going to keep my lettuce spinner loaded with clean, crispy; lettuce and my fridge stocked with homemade preassembled salad toppings.  No more sad salads!

The purpose of preassembled salad toppings:

• Is to makes delicious salads the easy alternative to junk food.
• Save time on cleaning and prepping food – cutting all my veggies at once means digging through the fridge and washing veggies, cutting boards and knives one time for several salads.
•  Prevent food waste – this is your chance to use up the last chunk of a cucumber or onion before it gets lost in the bottom of your crisper drawer… and you know what happens to those little bits of lost veggies- they turn into little lumps of squish.
•  Plan ahead!  Planning ahead helps me to stick to healthy food choices and it makes going to the grocery store easier.

If you are interested in making your own ready-to-go, customized-to-you, salad toppings, these are some guidelines that I tend to go by.  See the end of this post for a massive list of ingredients that could be used.

Step one:

Choose and prepare (wash, cut, cook, etc.) the veggies, fruit, grains, beans, cheese, and nuts that you want to use or have on hand.  I recommend sturdier items like peppers, nuts, and dried fruit, over fruits or vegetables like tomatoes that get mushy when combined with liquid.

Step two:

Combine items from step one in a Tupperware or glass bowl with a lid and mix.

Step three (optional):

Add your favorite seasoning and salad dressing to taste, and mix.

 

Excellent ingredients for pre-made salad toppings:

Cucumbers, peppers, onions, garlic, celery, cabbage, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, beets, peas, corn, apples, pears, water chestnuts, kimchi, pickles, banana peppers, olives, beans, lentils, rice, wheat berries, quinoa, dried berries, raisins, slivered nuts, seeds, and some cheese that can withstand moisture like feta and mozzarella.

Salt, Pepper, Mrs. Dash spice mixes, Italian herbs, Oil & vinegar (balsamic, apple cider, white wine, etc.), Lime-juice mixed with agave, Greek or Italian dressing, etc.  

Voila!  Easy but vibrant salads in no time!