When I first began learning about the joys of raw food, a friend of mine named Holly said something I will never forget, "You really have to love salads when you eat like this." Is that not the most true statement to finding success on a raw diet? Really though, the best way to eat raw foods is in the form of salad. I've been hearing a lot of people say how tired of salads they've gotten so I decided to do a post on
How to Never get Bored of Salad. In general my biggest tip towards always enjoying your salad is variation, you have to mix it up. Anyone eating lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers with balsamic vinaigrette everyday is obviously going to get bored and move on. I've listed the top ways to create great salads that never taste the same and keep you wanting more!
Top Five Essentials to a Great Salad
1) Dressing: you must have a delicious salad dressing on hand at all times. The best salad dressings are always home made, check out our favorite
salad dressing.
2) Lettuce: it's pivotal to mix up the lettuce you are using. There are so many different kinds as well, red leaf, romaine, spinach, mixed baby greens, butter-leaf and even the darker greens like kale make great salads. Try out favorite
kale salad.
3) Veggies: it is necessary to have a large variety of vegetables ready to go for salads so you can always use different ones. The list of salad vegetables is endless, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, red, yellow and green bell pepper,
zucchini,
eggplant, mushrooms, beets, celery, scallions, red, yellow or white onions, purple or green cabbage,
bok choy, green beans,
asparagus, artichoke hearts, corn, jicama,
parsnips, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, avocado and more! You don't have to always eat everything raw either,
beets are good shredded when raw but there also great boiled and sliced. Artichoke hearts obviously must be steamed, sliced and preferably chilled. Green beans, asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli are much better steamed while mushrooms and eggplant are nice sauteed.
4) Herbs: adding in fresh herbs to salads makes a world of a difference.
Basil, thyme, mint and dill are among my favorites. Just chop finely and sprinkle over the top. Or try this
salad idea for a serious kick.
5) Toppings: sprouts, raw seeds and nuts are excellent additions to throw on top of a nice vegetable salad. Again, there are so many different types to mess around with. Alfalfa and clover sprouts are generally what you'll find in grocery stores but look for sunflower, broccoli or radish sprouts at your local farmers or health food store. Sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds are excellent seed choices that add a nice crunch. For nuts try almonds, pine nuts, walnuts or pecans and even cashews are great, especially in Asian salads. Lentils are a big favorite to sprout, check out our
post on how the sprouting process works.
There you have it, now really, there is no excuse for getting bored of salads, ever! Last little tip that makes it even more fun: go for themes such as Mexican, Greek or Asian. For Mexican choose crisp romaine and add celery, corn and bell peppers topped with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime. Greek salads always have thinly sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers with basil chiffonade and sunflower seeds. Enjoy bok choy, shredded carrots, chopped scallions and sesame seeds with a bit of Tamari or Bragg's for an Asian salad. Get creative, mix n' match, and fall in love with salad all over again :)
Blessings,
Dani
This has become my latest favorite salad. I've literally eaten it for lunch three days in a row :) I tend to find something I really like and then I stick with it for a while. It's a trend with my diet. And you know how I love sharing my latest creations with you. I actually origninally got the idea from an old roommate of mine, Lindsay. I thought she had made quinoa with beets and fresh veggies, but she laughed because it was actually ground cauliflower she had to use because she ran out of lettuce! Thanks Linds!
