Garden Variety Salad

There has been many times since I started this blog that I have deemed salads as an ‘unworthy’ blog post, because after all, it’s just salad. There is nothing spectacular or extraordinary about a bed of greens and some toppings as far as recipes are concerned, but what I often tend to forget is the large role salads play in many of our meals. Really, a great salad can make or break a meal, whether it’s the main course or the side dish, so what you put in to it matters. It’s also important to remember that not all salads are created equal. Most fast food and restaurant salads have more calories than many of the ‘unhealthy’ options on the menu, which is insane considering that people typically order salads in an effort to be more healthy! I mean, what’s the point? It is easy to get out of hand with the toppings, and it’s definitely easy to get out of hand with the dressing, but if you’re looking at consuming 800+ calories on a salad, you would probably be better off going with those french fries you’ve been craving. Mmmmmm, fries.

Rather than topping my salads with the likes of fried chicken strips, bacon, cheese and high sugar dressing, I try to make my salad count in terms of upping my veggie consumption and fiber for the day. I like crunch, I like flavor, and I like my salads to be both vibrant and eye pleasing, and this particular salad fits the bill. While it may just be a simple salad, it is a tasty way to up your veggie content, and who couldn’t use an extra salad idea?