Salads can become boring, uninspiring, healthy ought to’s – rather than scrumptious, exciting, delicious want to’s.  Here are some ways you can add to it’s nutritional content and really design beauty for your belly on a plate.

• Choose Dark Greens : Swap the ice-berg and the romaine for dark leafy greens: kale, arugla, spinach, mixed greens, watercress, dandelion greens etc.  The darker the green the more nutrient dense it is.  So it will fill you up and leave you full of energy.  
• Add Your Seeds:  Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, etc – sprinkle them on.  They are a great source of fiber, protein, and omega 3 fatty acids – not to mention they are filled with energy (think of the chia pet or sunflower seed that eventually grows from that tiny little seed) that will leave you powered for the rest of the day.

• Sproutify:  Take it the next step by adding sprouts to your salad.  You can even grow them yourself.  They are easy for your body to digest, filled with vitamins and minerals, and add a nice texture for your taste buds to enjoy.  For more on the glory of sprouts, click here.

• Homemade Salad Dressing:  As convenient as bottled salad dressings are, you end up paying for a bottle of ingredients that are less than desirable to be putting into your body.  Keep it simple and make your own, or if you are out just ask for olive oil and vinegar, and sprinkle some S&P if you’d like.

• Top Till Your Hearts Content:  To make it a meal, add a grain, some veggies, beans, or fruit – layer whatever you need to feel nourished and full.  * A little cheese can go a long way :)

kale + blueberries + walnuts + parmesan + honey vinegarette

If that isn’t enough to get you excited about a bowl of leafy greens, check out this endless guide of salad recipes that are sure to tantalize your taste buds.

And if you need a quick and easy go to salad dressing try:

1/2 cup – balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

1 cup – olive oil

1 clove of garlic minced

1 scoop of mustard

1 scoop of honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Make a batch and keep on hand in an airtight container for up to two weeks.  And if you are using kale as your base, don’t forget to massage the dressing into those curly, curly ends.  Makes it much more tastier.

So here is to an inspirational and nutritionally dense salad that will leave you feeling full and energized.  I would love to hear your favorite salad, or ways that you superfy your leafy greens… the options are endless.  Leave a comment below!

I love tasty and satisfying salads.  This weekend I made a delightfully delicious bundle of greens with beets + goat cheese + toasted walnuts topped over some simply dressed baby greens.  Pretty quick and easy – the only time consuming thing was the beets – so plan ahead.

Ingredients:

handfuls of baby kale & baby swiss chard

3 golden beets (boiled, with skins removed and chopped – let cool)

handfuls of toasted walnuts (toast in frying pan with a bit of olive oil)

crumbles of goat cheese

for the dressing:                                                                                                                                                                                     this is my go to dressing – mix in a mason jar to save extra  for the next salad  concoction

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of mustard

1 clove of minced garlic

salt & pepper

Throw the greens in the bowl and massage the dressing over it, then add the beets, cheese, and walnuts and enjoy.