How to build a balanced salad

Ok, let’s do the maths - How to build a balanced salad

Long gone are boring lifeless salads. Instead think of colourful, interesting and tasty salads that you actually enjoy eating and provide all the macros you need to create a nutritionally balanced salad.

Think bowls that help you glow.

• Choose a base. Select delicious leafy green. Choose from spinach, lettuce, rocket, watercress or kale. So full of amazing nutrients and antioxidants. Use a few handfuls per person.

• Choose 4-5 veggies and think of all the colours here. The more colourful the produce you add the more nutrient dense the salad will become.

• Choose a protein. Protein will help to keep you fuller for longer and keep your blood sugar levels stable.

  For example:

  Cooked chicken

Chickpeas (I love these roasted)

Butterbeans

Quinoa

Tofu

Anchovies

Sardines

Smoked salmon

Mackerel

Lentils

• Add a portion of healthy fats.

  Think:

  Avocado

  Nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts)

  Seeds (pumpkin, sesame, walnuts)

Oily fish (wild salmon, mackerel, sardines)

Olives

Olive oil (think in a homemade dressing here)

• Choose a complex carbohydrate. Choosing the right kind of carbs will provide fibre, and energy and increase the feeling of fullness.

Think:

Quinoa

Beans

Brown rice

New potatoes

Sweet potatoes

I always like to add something that can really jazz the salad up. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are missing out when eating a salad. If you so desire add some dried fruit such as wild blueberries or apricots, chopped-up nori, a dollop of hummus, some crushed up nachos, seeds, nuts, and fresh herbs. I always make sure to add a great salad dressing . I also like to spice up my salads by using a variety of spices.

See here for more on portion sizes and how to build a balanced plate.

Katie xx