Balanced Summer Salads

Summer salads are so refreshing and wonderful to eat to replenish our bodies from the summer heat.  Avocado, Black Bean, Grilled Corn and Chicken Salad is one of my favorite salads to make right now! Especially with fresh ingredients from my garden. If you don’t have a garden, farmers markets and veggie stands are generally cheaper than grocery stores. So don’t forget to stock up for the week, after you have planned your weekly meals!

 

What does a healthy salad consist of?

Healthy salads, let alone healthy meals, should have a balance of good fats, proteins and good carbohydrates. To do this, add black beans, quinoa, hard boiled eggs and/or grilled chicken for protein, a quarter of an avocado and a little bit of an oil based dressing, for your good fats. Then the lettuce, plus all the other vegetables, are your good carbohydrates (yes vegetables are carbohydrates).

 

Why do I need protein in each meal?

The bonus of adding protein, is that it replenishes our bodies and gives them the energy and strength they need. We use protein to build and repair tissues, muscle, bones, cartilage, skin and blood. It’s also used to make enzymes and hormones.  Protein slows the digestion of sugars, boosts metabolism and reduces hunger… which leads to weight loss, yeah! So don’t shy away from adding proteins to your salads!

 

Why do I need good fats with each meal?

Good fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They are good for your brain, heart, cholesterol, and overall health. As many of you know, they can help in lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke and help fight inflammation. Fat works with the hormones in your body, to tell you to stop eating. So good fats are pretty essential and important to include in our diets… please don’t cut them all out.

Benefits of having a fresh home garden

We are just starting to reap the benefits of our garden and have lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries ready to eat so far!

My oldest son struggles with eating a variety of vegetables from the store, but every summer, he enjoys the freshly picked vegetables and fruits from our garden.  I think he delights in trying what he worked so hard to grow… plus they taste so much better! Both my kids help us water, mow and pull weeds in the garden every week.

Lincoln, my youngest,  has been such a big helper this year… his first real year (he is 21.5 months now).  He really LOVES picking the fruit/veggies and eating them right away.  He ate most of the red tomatoes off the vines this morning after watering them. First he tried a handful of green ones and realized they were “weird”… his words, and thereafter went for the red, ripe tomatoes.🤪

Prepare food as a family

I believe, when kids help grow and prepare their own food, it gives them a deeper appreciation and love for what they are eating.  Plus, they get a kick out of it! Yes, it takes longer for mom and the clean up is bigger… but when you have the time, try it!

As you’re teaching them, it’s the perfect time to talk about all the yummy vitamins and nutrients that are in the foods they’re preparing.   Plus, they love hearing about how those nutrients will make their body grow healthy, strong and energized. After eating a vegetable, both my sons like to show me the muscles the grew and then they run around showing me how much energy they now have! 🤣 … They get the lesson to some degree haha.

Check out my post on transitioning to a more natural family diet for more information on this topic. 

 

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Lets be real for a minute…

Do your kids enjoy salads?  I know many don’t even like vegetables!  So how do you get them to eat a salad?  Well you can try the tips above, but also try separating out each vegetable and add a dressing on the side for them to dip into.  Thats what we do for my oldest son.  He doesn’t like mixed foods in general, so I separate out all the ingredients from the salad and add the dressing on the side. He will actually eat most of it that way… after some convincing.

His rule is he has to eat at least 3 vegetables because he is 3… he actually made that rule a year ago and we stuck with it 😆. But it gives him a goal and he can choose any 3 that I put on his plate… which, I do try to add a variety if available.

My youngest is a veggie nut and actually loves salads!  Weird I know, but I’m not complaining. 🙌  But he also enjoys dipping his salad into dressing on the side.  There is just something about dipping that gets the kids to eat a variety of foods! Give it a try!

Anther tip is to chop the lettuce really small.  It’s easier to digest and more manageable for their little mouths to process and chew the lettuce. 🔪 🥬

 

To make a great salad, you need the right tools!

• A good bamboo cutting board like this one.
• A sharpe knife to cut your veggies.  We enjoy using Calphalon santoku knife, which is great for chopping, dicing and slicing.
  • We also have and love the Calphalon cutlery 14 piece knife set … if your looking for a complete knife set!
• Some knifes that are safe for your kiddos to use…  We love these curious chef knifes! 
• A peeler like this one,  by OXO good grips.
• A salad spinner like this one, for your fresh cut lettuce.
• A double strainer, aka berry box.  These things are amazing for washing berries and small fruits.

 

Give these delicious salads a test run!

P.S. Go light on your dressings.

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Please share your favorite salad mix in the comments below 👇 🥬 👇