Salads

I used to here "salad" and would picture some iceburg lettuce and ranch. But I have come to LOVE salads, and so have my family. There are so many variations and you can build your own to what you like.

I found a cool taco shell form at the Dollar Tree that I was so excited about! Then I saw this, and was even happier! I have mine for larger meals, like dinner, or for my husband, but its too big for lunch or for my kids... This is perfect! You can use smaller tortillas and make a great lunch, snack, or kid friendly shell at the same time.

Taco Salads: These are probably my favorite. With or without a shell! I like it will fritos, too, you just mix it in. I use our ground deer or get ground turkey and brown it with onions and garlic, then add half a packet of taco seasoning. Put with kale and spinach, tomatoes, avocado, corn kernels, black and or kidney beans (I like to put beans in with meat when its almost done to get some of the seasoning), etc. Add what you like. Sprinkle some cheese, sour cream or yogurt, and salsa on top. So yummy!

Chinese Chicken Salad: At a restaurant these run over 1000 calories, but making your own is simple and so much healthier. I sautee or bake chicken breast with a little sesame oil. Add some green onion and peppers. Lay on a bed of greens with snap peas, a sprinkle of those crunchy noodles, and top with a low cal or homemade tangy dressing.

Fajita Salad: This can be with raw or sauteed veggies. I like it with cold leftovers or with a fresh batch. Sautee bell peppers, onions, garlic, and your choice of meat (we love deer steaks -- can you tell I married a hunter?!). Put over a bed of greens with a few broken tortilla chips if you want, add some sour cream and salsa like you would a taco salad. I like it with oil and vinegar, my family likes ranch instead of sour cream.

Green Salad: This doesnt have to be boring! Get creative! Lay out a bed of greens and start topping! Peppers, snap peas, tomato, roasted garlic, avocado, cheese, roasted or fresh broccoli, steamed and chilled asparagus, artichoke hearts, apples chunks, almond slices, peacans, beans, quinoa, corn, peas, etc. There are so many varieties. Learn to make your own dressings too. Vinegarette is easy, but you can also make caesar or paresean dressings easy and healthier.

Quinoa Salad: I love quinoa! Its easy (cooks like rice) and you can use it to replace rice or pasta. I like to add it with some chicken and veggies with some vinegarette for a tastey "pasta salad", or just add a scoop to your ground meat for some added flavor and it will fill you up more.

Smoothy: I add this because I had an AMAZING smoothy this morning that was about 1/2 salad. Haha. I put 1 cup unsweetened almond milk with a large handful each of spinach and kale. Blended til smooth, then added 1/2 apple with skin, 1 banana, 1/2 c frozen mixed berries, and 2 Tbsp flax. It was wonderful, even if it looked strange. You could add broccoli, different fruits, etc. Mine was about 210 calories. Fast, healthy, and I was energized for the day after a bad night sleep. All the benefits of a morning smoothy WITH healthy greens.

PLEASE add your favorite salads, toppings, and or healthy dressings.