How to Build a Nutrient Dense Salad

Salads are a great way to add whole, nutrient-dense foods into your eating plan but its important to understand that not all salads are created equal! In fact most of the salads in mainstream restaurants are loaded with inflammatory fats and sugar.  When you see ingredients like: "buffalo", "ranch", "bacon", "crispy wontons", "candied walnuts", "dried cranberries", or "balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette", these salads are more likely to pack on the pounds and slow down your metabolism than boost your nutrition or help you lose weight. 

While this doesn't mean you have to stick to plain old boring mixed greens, it may mean you have to venture outside your comfort zone to try some new combinations.  A nutrient dense, entree salad can be an amazing addition to your diet and the good news is that we are experts at building them! Check out our simple steps below to build your own:

How to Build a Nutrient Dense Salad:

1. Think outside of iceberg and Romaine lettuce! Instead choose fiber packed greens like kale, chard, arugula, or cabbage.  These types of greens are loaded with antioxidants to boost your immune system and nutrients and fiber to fuel you through your day! A good entree salad will include 2-3 cups of raw greens. If the dark greens are intimidating to you, mix in some light greens to balance out the flavors.  You can also marinate dense greens like kale and cabbage in a little bit of dressing before serving. This will help break down the fibrous leaves and make them easier to eat.  We use this trick in our Kale Refresh Salad as well as our Chinese Chicken Salad. 
   
   
2. Get creative with your veggies.  Personalize your salad with 1 cup additional vegetables of choice. Adding other veggies gives you a variety of nutrients and flavors in your salads.  Use raw veggies or even cooked, leftover veggies and choose those that are in season or in your fridge to make it easy:) 
   
   
3. Make sure to include clean protein.  Eating enough protein at each meal will help boost your metabolism and ability to burn fat while reducing your appetite.  Some good choices are: 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup cooked beans like chickpeas or black beans, 1-2 organic pastured hard-boiled eggs, 3 tablespoons hemp seeds (has 10 grams of protein plus healthy fats), or 4-6 ounces of cooked organic chicken, grass-fed meat, wild caught fish or seafood, or one small serving organic, high quality tofu. I always double 1-2 dinner meals each week that have a protein I can toss on salads for a quick lunch. Grilled or sauteed chicken breast or roasted wild salmon are my favorites!  Having cooked, clean proteins on hand saves lots of time and makes clean eating easy!
   
   
4. Add healthy fats!! Fats are essential to the daily functions of your body's metabolism. Without the right amount of fat, your body doesn't have the building blocks it needs to make some of your hormones - which can lead to hormonal imbalances that make you hold onto weight and crave sugar and carbs.  Fat is also necessary for healthy brain and nervous system function - essential fats are part of the "myelin sheath" coating of nerve cells that help to protect the nervous system and carry messages to your cells.  So don't be afraid of fat, just choose the right types of healthy fats . Some excellent choices for salads include: extra virgin olive oil, avocados,  raw walnuts, raw almonds, raw macadamia nuts, flaxseed oil, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds,  hemp seeds, or wild caught salmon.  Try our super versatile, Apple Cider Vinaigrette  for a salad topper. Or check out our blog, Fast & Easy Homemade Salad Dressing  to avoid store bought dressings that are loaded with inflammatory fats and sugar. 
   
   
5. Boost your fiber. Using dark greens alone will give you a nice boost of healthy, fiber based carbs to keep cravings at bay and steady your blood sugar.  Some of the foods listed in healthy fats and proteins are also great fibrous choices like: avocados, nuts and seeds, quinoa, and beans.  Check out our Sweet Potato & Quinoa Patty Salad with Creamy Thai Vinaigrette. 
   
   
6. Top with fresh herbs! Adding herbs can help to support healthy digestion and boost detoxification. The ones that are best to add raw are chives, cilantro, parsley, dill, or basil.  I also love rosemary and thyme. Try our Rosemary Chicken Salad Wraps or our Simple Detox Salad.

Thanks so much for tuning in to this week's What's That?! Wednesday post.  Feel free to share your favorite salad recipes with us or comment on the information posted below. 

In good health,
​Billie