Salad upgrade
Dark Green Salad with kidney beans and more
2 cups Organic Baby Spinach (20 cals)
1 medium tomato (35 cals)
¼ of a Red and Yellow bell pepper (30 cals)
½ cup of kidney beans* (120 cals)
1 tbs slivered almonds (50 cals cals)
1 tbs sunflower seeds (50 cals)
Few pecans (40 cals)
½ cup sugar snap peas (20 cals)
1 baby cucumber (15 cals)
Drizzle of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil (60 cals)
1 large portabella mushroom (10 cals)
1 cup of mandarins in 100% fruit juice (50)
Total Calories- 500 calories
I often can't finish the whole salad and save the rest for a side dish for dinner...or add to it and make it a dinner meal.
I have eliminated the fat free lime dressing and replaced it with extra virgin cold pressed olive oil…I don’t need anything else, the salad itself is Full of all sorts of flavors. On days that I chop up an avocado and add it to my salad I don’t include the olive oil. I also added a few pecan nuts (unsalted), a baby cucumber (they’re a perfect 1 size portion), sugar snap peas, and a few mandarins. I also cooked a portabella mushroom in a cast iron pan with some coconut oil and a squeeze of lemon and a generous sprinkle of garlic powder then after cooking each side for 4 minutes I chopped it up and added it to my salad.
I eat salads almost every day, so I mix up the protein. I love to add shrimp in my salads, so on days I don’t add kidney beans I throw in a few shrimp (I try no more than twice a week…the shrimp I get are precooked and pink and I noticed they do add salt to preserve them). Some times I just add extra button mushrooms when I don't put kidney beans or shrimp. I also throw in some fish if I have some left over (I often can't finish a whole salmon piece, so I save half and throw in the cold fish in my next salad).
I eat salads almost every day, so I mix up the protein. I love to add shrimp in my salads, so on days I don’t add kidney beans I throw in a few shrimp (I try no more than twice a week…the shrimp I get are precooked and pink and I noticed they do add salt to preserve them). Some times I just add extra button mushrooms when I don't put kidney beans or shrimp. I also throw in some fish if I have some left over (I often can't finish a whole salmon piece, so I save half and throw in the cold fish in my next salad).
My salads rarely look like "just a salad"
My salads sounds like a lot of work and ingredients, but well worth it, and most of my salads now include all these ingredients as long we’re not out of them. I don’t often include the brown rice as I did in the first salad I shared; I save that for other meals...in fact I rarely eat rice now (always only brown rice). Also the mandarin I included in this salad is a once in a blue moon thing…because I get plenty of fruit in my morning smoothie. I also rinse them off with water before adding them, even though they are packaged in 100% fruit juice. They add a little sweetness to the salad.
This salad is so delicious, filled with so many flavors and nutrients:)
I always get my protein from the mushrooms, nuts & seeds that I add to all my salad, and additionally in the kidney beans or shrimp that I sometimes add, and lots of healthy fats from the nuts and olive oil or avocado (and coconut oil from cooking the mushrooms or shrimp/fish). The variety of colorful vegetables provides a ton of vitamins and antioxidants. All in all, very satisfying and easy to fill up on. I actually included the cherries as a dessert for this blog (which I don't usually do), but I was too full to eat them...so I saved them for later. I eat most of my fruit through my smoothies. I will occasionally snack on fresh fruit, but I actually prefer a refreshing smoothie.
