Sass Up Your Salad!

Late February.

Too early to completely disregard those New Years resolutions. (Too late to be sticking to them 100%.)

What's one to do? Do we forego the low-cal lunch, and order the cheesesteak?

NO, we get creative.

I was never very fond of the whole BYOL (bring your own lunch) approach to dieting, but I have to say, it works wonders. If you take the time the night before to prepare your meal, not only does it keep cash in your thinning wallet, but it's great for your waistline.

While a salad is always a healthy choice, some prove to be south of scrumptious. But what constitutes a "salad"? It doesn't have to be a lusterless meal. You are the artiste; the produce section; your canvas. Get in touch with your inner Bob Ross, and make some magic. How do we make less-than-enthusiastic lunch trigger our salivary glands?

Try sassing it up. I was on the whole sushi-grade ahi tuna steak kick, (which is obvious if you read Thursday's entry) so I tried adding some to a baby spinach and vidalia salad. I tossed in some toasted sesame seeds, and the miso-soy dressing and viola, insta-mega meal.

Try adding crumbled feta with toasted pine nuts to your salad. Pair that with some craisins, or the blueberry version of craisins, and you're in for a mouthwatering treat.

Love shrimp? Marinate it in lime juice and let it sit to cook. When it's pink, chop it up into fine pieces, add some ripe chopped avocado, chopped cilantro, and corn to the mix. Toss this into a garden salad, and add a nice lite vegetable oil, seasoned salt, and lime juice dressing.

Try a different approach to the common garden salad. Use Boston lettuce for a softer taste. Pair this with the vegetables of your choice, and add a different dressing, such as a cider vinaigrette. This vinaigrette is a lovely match to the boston or butterhead lettuce. You can make it by adding cider vinegar to olive oil, with a spash of fresh lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper. Crumble some fine bleu cheese, and serve.

The art of the salad is all-encompassing. The possibilities are endless. If you are a fan of chicken salad, put a scoop on top of your salad, and drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top.

Go for it. Get creative. Get sassy.