Nikki tells us all the time- “Eat at least 1 salad a day.” I would go a step further to say “Make salad your dinner.” Salad as the main course is a great way to get all your veggies in and be able to eat a large, filling meal with more fiber, fewer calories.
The key to making your salad the main course is adding cooked veggies or protein as well as some hummus, cashew cheese or guacamole on the side for dipping raw veggies in. For me that usually means roasted potatoes, crispy tofu, tempeh bacon, spicy tofu or a crumbled up veggie burger. You could choose any roasted/cooked veggie you want and your favorite protein choice. Just remember: the American Heart Association recommends only 45 grams of protein a day.
My salad is loaded with all the usual ingredients: romaine, spring lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, maybe some olives, shredded carrots, snap peas. Your salad will be the size of the dinner plate. 3-4 cups of greens before the other veggies.
Dressing options:
- Buffalo Ranch Dressing
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- O’Dang Hummus Greek Salad Dressing
- Green Goddess Dressing from Trader Joe’s
- Raw Chef Debra’s Low Fat Salad Dressing
- Raw Vegan Caesar Dressing
Enjoy!
Recipe by Raw Chef Debra Garner
To learn more about the raw food/plant based diet and Debra’s services please visit her website. She offers a 6 week raw vegan/plant based coaching program.