Our Daily Salad Bar

My favorite way to use up
peppers that have begun to wilt.
Waste not, want not.  I put these on everything!

Many healthy recipes call for expensive ingredients and lots of prep time. I don't usually have either but I also don't want to miss out on a nutrient-rich and tasty diet.

One of my solutions is to have a salad bar every night along with the entrée and maybe a side. I try to think of the salad as the main course, as this is where we get most of our nutrients.  The entree is more about protein and what keeps us full.

In addition, vitamin supplements are great and helpful but in most cases they aren't needed if you are eating a healthy, varied diet.

So, in order for us to not get bored with having salad just about every single day, I try to have lots of options and change it up every now and then. The more colorful the better.

I mainly shop in bulk, but I cannot afford waste so I have figured out what we can eat before it goes bad and use the rest in entrée recipes or snacks. If I don't think we can eat it all, I don't buy it. I use a lot of our salad fixings for snacks (as a rule my snacks are usually vegetables, fruits or nuts). If something starts going bad, I either sauté the vegetables and use it as a side (in addition to the salad), make a big stir-fry, etc.  One of my favorite things to make is roasted peppers or sautéed peppers. Just be creative. And don't over-buy. Test one ingredient out at a time until you are comfortable with it and make sure it's not wasted.

Speaking of waste, I've noticed that if you keep all your salad items separate, you will actually waste less.  Pre-mixed salad often gets soggy and unappealing.


Below are some of my "salad bar" combinations:


Savory Salad Bar (pictured to right):
Spring Mix or Kale
Avocados, sliced (not in picture)

Savory Salad Bar

Sweet peppers, chopped
Mushrooms, sliced
Carrots, shredded
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Bleu cheese, crumbled

Super Substantial Salad Bar:
Spring Mix or Kale

Avocados, sliced (not in picture)
Sweet peppers, chopped

Brussel Sprouts, finely chopped
Carrots, shredded
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Bleu cheese, crumbled

Summer Fruit Salad Bar:
Spring Mix or Kale
Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, pear, apple, or any other fruit in season (obviously, only when it doesn't cost $$$)
Bleu cheese, crumbled
Walnuts

Fall Fig Salad (my favorite!!!):
Spring Mix
Black Mission Figs (by themselves or good with any combination of berries)
Bleu cheese, crumbled
Walnuts
Topped with balsamic vinegar (we have 18-year-aged - it is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!) and olive oil. YUM!!!


In general, when I go grocery shopping my cart is compromised of about 60% produce and 40% everything else (dairy, meat, dry goods).

My fridge looks like a farmers market explosion!  Except I hardly shop at the farmers market... That's another story to be told one day.

We love a sprinkle of bleu cheese on our salad, but good substitutions are: grated Parmesan (did you know it has more calcium per ounce than any other cheese?), feta, Gorgonzola, etc.

Basically, the way to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to have fun with it and keep it exciting.  Food is not just for nourishment, it is for enjoyment too... Otherwise, God would have made all foods the same!

What do you put on your salads?  What are your favorite toppings?  Tell me in the comments!!