Salad Made Easy: A Guide to Building Balanced, Nourishing Meals

We live in an age of food-courts and eating on the run or at the desk. I think it's a little sad as this can take away the joy of food and turns eating it into just another thing to tick off your to-do list. If this is your reality, at least ensure that what you are shoving in your gob is worthy of you. You can do this by establishing your go-to quality caterer (ahem...) or find your fave lunch haunt where you trust the food and have confidence in it's quality (if that's in your budget) or you can make lunch yourself. I think many people would be open to this, but perhaps fall short when it comes to ideas or inspiration.

Many of my friends would choose a salad for lunch or even dinner for that matter. As such, I would like to share with you of a few basic principles that I follow when building a salad.

A salad requires balance. What I mean by that is your salad would be very cumbersome if it were all leafy. For example, all lettuce and spinach. So add some crunch like a nut or seed.

Now, I am being completely genuine when I say if you roast your nuts in a medium oven for about ten minutes, it is a total game-changer. You all think I've gone nuts?!!! (....sorry, that was terrible), but it's the truth. I mean, I am a little nutty, but upon being flashed in the oven, a nut's natural oils and sugars are released, thereby making them extra delicious (and easier to digest). All you need to do, like-once a week, is throw walnuts, pepitas, and hazelnuts into the oven. You can then use these across the entire week. So that's your crunch taken care of. Now for substance. Roasted kumera or beets are a favourite of mine, or chickpeas, - whatever your choice of protein may be.

Not done yet. I like a bit of softness, or creaminess. You get this from avocado or your favourite cheese. I am so addicted to goats cheese, I put in nearly every salad and never tire of it. Yet another thing I like to add, season permitting, is fruit into my salads. Apple, stone fruit, pear are all excellent here.

So you have your leaf, your protein, your softness and your crunch. Now, I often can dressing altogether. I mean, the salads, not myself.

Nobody needs to see that. Frankly, I would rather taste the food than douse it in a store -bought dressing with who-knows-what in it and only taste that. What works really well is a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon over the top, and if you need it, a little extra virgin oil, a little sea-salt and cracked pepper. A fresh herb works really well here to, be it parsley, coriander, mint or basil - all uplifting delicious additions. 

If however, you are really feeling like a dressing, I make one that goes with pretty well everything. I make it for the week and keep it in a jar in the fridge. I start with equal parts raw honey, tahini and apple cider vinegar and sea salt. I shake it in the jar, taste it, and adjust accordingly.

Wait - there's more. Yet another option for salads is to add a grain or legume. I often use quinoa and millet combined, but there is also lentils, freekah, cous cous, cracked wheat, pearl barley....so much to choose from.

So if you were stuck for salad ideas, I hope this little post about building salads has helped.

Want more healthy cooking inspiration? Join a class at Port Macquarie Cooking Classes and learn how to prepare multiple nourishing meals in one session.