How to: Salad, Stronger

This may seem like a very silly topic, but it is the most common one my clients struggle with. When I check in to see how things are going, more times than not, I get this response: "Really well, I had a salad for lunch yesterday!" Awesome, great! Load up on those greens. But then I look at their log and they ate romaine lettuce with globs of Caesar dressing. *Insert face palm emoji*
Salads make a great meal, especially during the hot months of summer. But there is a proper way to build them. You want to get the most nutrition out of the bed of greens as you can. So I thought I would break it down for you!
Eat yo greens! Load up on a variety of greens for your base:
Spinach - chalk full of vitamins & minerals
Kale - high in protein & potassium
Lettuce - high water content, low in calories, high in vitamin A
Add some protein:
Hard boiled egg - 6g
Chopped ham - 2oz 10g
Grilled chicken - 1oz 9g
Tofu - 3oz 8g
Almonds - 1oz 6g
Walnuts - 1oz 5g
Edamame - 1oz 3g
Stock up on veggies, the more the merrier:
Cucumber
Carrot
Bell peppers
Corn
Broccoli
Peas
Beets
Clearly the list just keeps going. Pack in those nutrients!
Last but not least, top it off with some friendly fats! Now, the purpose of dressing is to add a source of fat to your salad. But that doesn't mean drench it in Ranch. A vinegar or oil based dressing is going to be your best bet!
Vinaigrette dressing
Olive oil & vinegar
Olives
Nuts/seeds
Avocado
Cheese
Getting the most out of your salads will help fill you up so you're not starving in an hour. How many times have you had a salad and an hour later you think "I should have had pizza instead"? Pack it with optimal nutrition and your stomach will thank you for caring enough to fill up on whole foods!