Quickest Salad Ever

It’s lunch time.  You’re home.  You open the fridge.  Hmmm…leftovers from last night?  Turkey sandwich?  Peanut butter and jelly?  You close the fridge and open the freezer.  Frozen meal?

You open the fridge again.  Yup, the veggies are still there.  (You actually saw them the first time, but dismissed them as a possibility for lunch because the thought of preparing yourself a salad was exhausting.)

But you KNOW that there is nothing healthier than a salad loaded with tons of veggies. But you ALSO know that salads are a pain in the you know what to make!

And here is what I have to say about that:  Take out those veggies!

Lack of time and/or effort will no longer deter you from instilling health at lunchtime.

Make yourself and your body a priority by following my formula for the quickest salad ever! You are worth it, my friend!

Quickest Salad Ever – Estimated Time: Under 4 Minutes!

1) Use prepackaged, prewashed veggies:  lettuce, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, shredded any vegetable!  This way you just reach in, grab a handful and toss it on your plate.

2) Add grape tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes – you can toss them in whole or give them one quick slice down the middle.

3) Add sprouts and mushrooms – two more easy ‘grab and toss’  ingredients packed with nutrients

4) Steam a big head of broccoli or cauliflower on Sunday and keep it in a container for the week.  It can easily be cut up once it’s cooked.

5) ’Grab and toss’ some canned beans for easy protein – garbanzo beans, kidney beans, any beans you love.

6) Sprinkle one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds on top.

Just with those items right there you have a hearty, nutrient dense salad!

Of course if you DO have the time and/or energy and want to add some crunch, give a cucumber a quick chop. Don’t worry about peeling the skin (you actually SHOULDN’T) because it contains most of the nutrients of the cucumber!**

And then to top it off with some extra yumminess, throw in some raisins and shredded cheese, but be careful not to accidentally ‘throw in’ too much as this is where the calories can really add up if you are watching your weight.  A tablespoon of both is perfect.

Don’t believe me?  Then watch this video!

**My kids love cucumbers.  Wait.  That came out wrong.  When forced to eat vegetables, cucumbers are their vegetable of choice.  Once I discovered that the skins are the healthiest part, I started peeling cucumbers so that when I am finished, there are literal stripes on the cucumber, skin and no skin.  This way when I cut them into slices, they look pretty and at least half of the skin is there for them to consume.  I tried offering the cucumber slices with all of the skin and it was a no go, but this half and half method worked.