How to prepare healthy and tasty salads

Do you want to know how to prepare healthy and tasty salads? The possibilities are endless; the only limit is your imagination! A salad can be a very complete and balanced dish, you just have to choose correctly.

To make a healthy and nutritious salad you need to supplement it with carbohydrates and quality proteins. In addition, you can prepare it in no time and take it wherever you want … to work, to university or even a trip. Forget fast food, when it’s time to eat, choose the healthiest option! And if you are one of those who thinks salads are boring do not miss out on the following ideas, open your mind and experiment! It is possible to create different combinations with surprising and delicious results.

How to prepare a tasty salad

The first thing we have to do is select a “green base”, for example: sprouts, canons, spinach, beets, kale, etc. This is the ingredient that gives “volume” to our salads. You can mix different types of lettuce or vegetables; it’s better if they are seasonal!  

The next step is to add the vegetables, choose the ones you like best: cucumber, green pepper, avocado, tomato, and complete them with a touch of color adding apple, peach, mango, carrot, beetroot, celery, corn, etc. It is very important to play with the ingredients combination, especially according to their colors, in this way we can benefit from a wider range of nutrients.  To make our salads have a crunchy touch we can add a handful of nuts (nuts, pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.), they will add texture to it. Remember that nuts, because of their properties, are an excellent option, but they should always be consumed moderately.

In addition, you should not forget proteins, they will fill you up for longer: turkey, egg, seafood, chicken, tofu, tuna, fresh cheese, etc.  And finally, do not forget the dressing. Some of the options that we propose are the following: yoghurt dressing, sour cream, lemon vinaigrette, sesame and ginger sauce, mustard or balsamic vinegar, etc.  Store everything in a refrigerator, so the ingredients are kept fresh. It is also advisable and whenever it is possible, to prepare the dressing at the moment.

Combinations that you will love:

Honey sauce + blue cheese + apple + celery and walnut  

Lemon vinaigrette + avocado + onion and walnut  

Lemon + tuna + pepper + onion vinaigrette  

Balsamic vinegar + tomato + cheese + olives

Did you know…?

Salad was the most consumed dish in Spain during 2017? However, nutrition professionals warn that half of the recommended daily amount of vegetables and leaf vegetables consumption is not met (a minimum of 400 grams per day). Salads can be a good choice to help us achieve this goal.

Benefits of consuming vegetables

1. Nutrients: Fruits and vegetables are usually low in calories, but rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals (vitamin C, A, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, etc.). All these nutrients regulate multiple organic processes, such as the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems.

2. Antioxidants: Vitamin C or E, for example, are vitamins which have a great antioxidant properties, which together with other compounds such as anthocyanins, carotenes, polyphenols, etc., make fruits and vegetables one of the richiest foods in this type of substances. Antioxidants are very relevant compounds to keep healthy.

3. Hydrate and refresh: A varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables can provide up to 700 ml of water. The rest must be provided by drinking water. Drink when you are thirsty and eat fruits and vegetables to help you stay hydrated.

4. Fiber: Salad is a dish that can provide with a good amount of fiber, depending on its ingredients. Fiber is a component of plant foods that, among other functions, allows  proper functioning of the digestive system and intervenes in the regulation of cholesterol levels and blood sugars.

5. They help protect the skin. Fruits and vegetables such as carrots, mango, apricots or spinach, provide beta-carotenes, which are transformed into vitamin A in our body, which contribute to having healthy skin.  Now that you know the benefits of vegetables and know how to prepare healthy salads, what are you waiting for? Let’s do this!