From the kitchen of Dr. Barrett
Salads are probably one of the easiest ways to check off several vegetable servings in one meal. At a minimum you want to get 7 servings of vegetables daily (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw = 1 serving). With a salad you can easily squeeze in 3-4 servings!
Salads are probably one of the easiest ways to check off several vegetable servings in one meal. At a minimum you want to get 7 servings of vegetables daily (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw = 1 serving). With a salad you can easily squeeze in 3-4 servings!
salad formula
Here is a basic formula I use for creating salads:
- 2-3 cups of greens
- 1/2 cup (or more!) of colorful vegetables raw or cooked
- 1/4 cup of fat (nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, avocado, cheese, etc)
- 1/8-1/4 cup of a flavor accent (fruit, fermented food, herbs, citrus zest, etc)
Pro Tip: to absorb the carotenoids from the beautiful greens and veggies on your salad you must have fat in the meal. If you don't want to add fat to the salad make sure to use a dressing with oil.
Dr. Barrett's Favorite dressing
This is the standard salad dressing I keep in my house, it compliments on a variety of salads.
Combine all ingredients in a jar or bowl and mix well. Letting the dressing sit for a few hours will allow more of the flavors to be extracted.
- 1 cup oil (olive, walnut or avocado)
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 TBS dijon mustard
- 1 TBS Italian seasonings (basil, thyme and oregano)
- 2 garlic cloves minced/garlic press
- salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a jar or bowl and mix well. Letting the dressing sit for a few hours will allow more of the flavors to be extracted.
summer salad example
A sample salad following the formula:
Tossed with Dr. Barrett's favorite dressing
- 3 cups of spinach
- 1/2 cup grilled asparagus
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans
- 1/4 cup sliced strawberries
- 1/8 cup lemon chevre
Tossed with Dr. Barrett's favorite dressing
PRO-TIP SALAD TO GO!
Photo credit: Dr. Kelly Karn @kellyskjeikarn Find yourself with minimal time to prep healthy meals? Try mason jar salads! You can prepare these ahead of time and with the proper stacking of ingredients they will last for days in your fridge. Just shake and eat! Check out this beautiful jar with dressing on the bottom, chickpeas, beets, cucumbers, kale and sheep feta.
Dr. Sara Jean Barrett is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and co-founder of Wellness Minneapolis. She is also the President of the Minnesota Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a Member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Click here to learn more about Dr. Barrett.
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