5 Simple Tips for How To Make a Yummy Healthy Salad
Salads get a bad rap for being boring, bland rabbit food. But its a good rule of thumb for cooking that if you use good ingredients-- you'll likely end up with a good product. And I made this particular video when I got a craving for something healthy. I started thinking about what makes a good one.
Watch this 30 second video for some of my favorite ingredients and below I've shared some tips making your own yummy salad.
HERE ARE MY RULES FOR MAKING A GREAT SALAD ↓
RULE #1: NEVER use iceberg lettuce-- Not only does iceberg lettuce not add any flavor, but it has no nutritional value. I mean, its basically water in lettuce form. If I'm going to eat a salad, it should at a little healthy.
RULE #2: Consider the flavor of your greens carefully-- I love greens with strong flavors. Kale (bittersweet), arugula (peppery), dandelion (slightly bitter), but i know people who like sweeter greens like spinach or boston butter. Choosing the wrong green for you can make you hate salads. So do your research and try different leaves.
RULE #3: Don't load your salad down-- We've all seen people at the salad bar who get a little of this and a lot of that and sprinkle of those and so on. And when they sit down at the table, you can't even see the greens on their plate. Its basically a pile of toppings with dressing. Salads, much like sushi, are all about a balance of flavors. So in this case, less is more. No more than four ingredients. Something sweet (a fruit), something crunchy (nuts or croutons), something tart/acidic (another fruit or veggie) and maybe something creamy (a cheese). I also like to include a protein that is not fried (chicken, shrimp, salmon, etc.).
RULE #4: Consider your dressing-- I'm not a fan of creamy dressings like ranch or caesar. I love a good vinaigrette. But if I use a sweet dressing (pomegranate)-- i balance it with more savory ingredients. If use a savory dressing (italian) I try to make sure the sweet ingredients don't clash. But whatever you do-- avoid high fructose corn syrup.
RULE #5: Just have fun-- its food not rocket science. [this rule may change if I think of something else to "consider"]