Salads are my favorite lunch food because they are quick, easy, and delicious. They give me the energy I need without making me feel bogged down and satisfy my hunger for at least 3-4 hours. Salads are mostly vegetables so they have tons of fiber along with age-defying phytonutrients and antioxidants. Here are three of my favorite salads which can be eaten at home or packed for lunch to-go.
I rarely break out the measuring spoons while throwing together a salad, so the quantities indicated below are approximations to guide you in the right direction. I encourage you to customize these recipes for your own taste and portion preferences; you can’t really go wrong one way or another. Enjoy!
Chicken Apple Salad with Spiced Pecans
2-3 cups spring mix salad greens
3-4 oz cooked chicken (I usually use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods)
1/2+ apple thinly sliced
2-3 Tbs spiced pecans (I make my own, but you can buy these pre-made)
1-2 Tbs Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette (I usually prefer to make my own dressings, but this one goes perfectly with the meal and the ingredients are acceptable)
Layer the ingredients in this order: salad greens, chicken, apples, dressing*, and pecans.
*Anytime you are packing a salad to take with you on-the-go, put the dressing in it’s own little container and mix it in right before eating.
Albacore with Mixed Greens and Cherry Balsamic
2-3 cups spring mix salad greens
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup grated red beet (raw)
1/4 avocado, thinly sliced
1-2 Tbs pepitas, toasted
1-2 Tbs dried Golden Berry Blend (dried cranberries, golden raisins, blueberries, and cherries; sold at Trader Joe’s)
1 can tuna (chunk light or solid white)
1 tsp aoli or mayo
1 tsp mustard (I prefer whole grain Dijon mustard)
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs capers (optional)
ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs cherry balsamic (or any kind you like)
a few drops of mustard
a few drops of honey
1 Ryvita sesame rye cracker (optional)
Put the tuna in a bowl and break it into small pieces with a fork. Stir in the aoli, mustard, lemon juice, capers, and ground pepper.
Layer the ingredients in this order: salad greens, carrots, beets, avocado, tuna mixture, dressing, pepitas*, and dried berries. You can add a Ryvita sesame rye cracker on the side if you like.
*I keep all raw nuts/seeds in the refrigerator. To freshly toast nuts, just scatter a few on a tray, place them in the toaster oven, and set the timer for “light toast”. I’ve found this to be the best method for toasting (and not burning) nuts/seeds.
Lemon Mustard Salmon Salad
From my favorite cookbook: The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen, by Rebecca Katz
2-3 cups spring mix salad greens or butter lettuce
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 avocado thinly sliced (my personal addition to this recipe)
3-4 oz leftover poached salmon or canned boneless, skinless wild sockeye salmon, drained
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of cayenne
pinch of sea salt*
1-2 Tbs finely chopped celery
1 Tbs finely chopped flesh flat-leaf parsley
1-2 Tbs Rebecca Katz’s Basil Lemon Drizzle or Moroccan Pesto, or you can shortcut with Brianna’s Champagne Caper Vinaigrette.
4-6 brown rice crackers (optional)
Put the salmon in a bowl and break it into small pieces with a fork. Stir in the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne, salt, celery, and parsley.
Layer the ingredients in this order: salad greens, radishes, avocado, salmon mixture, and dressing. You may add a few brown rice crackers on the side if you like.
*I only use French Celtic gray sea salt in my cooking because it is unrefined and therefore retains vital trace minerals. It also has superior flavor to white salt.
