Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
People always think that if they are trying to be healthy, they are stuck with boring, tasteless salads. But, what if I told you that your salads can be mouth-watering and as exciting, if not better, than your usual daily food options?
The reason people quickly get bored of their salads is because they are usually repeated. A salad can be made in many varieties and flavours to avoid repetition. That way, you get to be healthy while still feeling that your food is varied and exciting.
Over the years, I have learned that a salad does not have to be limited to greens and a handful of other vegetables. When you make a salad, think of all the different things you can add to it. I love adding whole grains, beans, bean sprouts, nuts, seeds or even fruits to my salad.
For example, experiment with adding cooked chickpeas or black-eyed peas to your green salad. It makes it much more exciting and adds a lot of flavour. It also makes it more filling.
You can also sprinkle chopped nuts or seeds over any salad. My personal favourite is sunflower seeds or flax seeds. They add crunch and a good dose of the essential fatty acids that we all need. I add these nuts and seeds to fruit salads as well, to balance out the fruit sugar with protein.
Quinoa, millet and brown rice are examples of whole grains that you can add to your salad. Adding whole grain pasta is also an option. These grains make your salad filling without needing to eat too much of the grain. They also add a nice warmth to the salad, making it a wonderful lunch or dinner option.
One of my favourite salads contains brown rice, red apple, sweet corn, kidney beans, cashew nuts and chopped coriander.
Another thing I learned is to try new ingredients for old recipes. For example, in order to reduce my consumption of wheat, I always replace bulgur in tabboula with millet (which is a very similar, but gluten-free grain).
You can also mix sweet and savoury tastes together to make your salads much more exciting. One example is a salad made with a bed or rocket leaves, with slices of avocado, apple, and tomato, sprinkled with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing.
Don't be afraid to bring sweet tastes to your salads in other forms, such as using raisins, goji berries, pomegranates, fruits and more. The contrast is always delicious.
Another great way to avoid salad boredom is to vary the textures and sizes of the ingredients. Instead of sticking to one way of cutting your salad ingredients, try shredding them thin, long, round, square, etc. You can also try varying the sizes within the salad. This way the salad looks different every time and this makes it more exciting to try.
For example, a salad that I make at home consists of thick, round slices of tomatoes each topped with a heap of shredded carrots, courgettes and green peppers. Each heap is then sprinkled with flax seeds and then served with mashed avocadoes or guacamole on the side.
On the same note, you should not be limited to the vegetables you can use in your salad. Many people are stuck on carrots and cucumbers, but there are many vegetables that would make delicious salad ingredients, especially when raw, such as celery, green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, mushrooms and more. Try to add a new item to your salad every day.
What you can also do is mix raw and cooked ingredients together. Try adding beans and pulses, cooked vegetables such as eggplants, potatoes, or even cooked tomatoes.
A salad that I love is made with chopped cucumber, tomato, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, parsley, rocket leaves and cubes of shallow-fried eggplants, which add a wonderful taste and warmth to the salad. It is then sprinkled with crushed raw almonds.
To enhance the flavour, you can play around with your dressing. Instead of relying on store-bought mixes, try experimenting by making your own.
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon always make a nice mix, but you can also experiment with various dressing ingredients such as tahini sauce, peanut butter, orange, honey, mustard, coconut cream, soy sauce, date syrup, pomegranate syrup, or many ingredients that work well in dressings.
To enhance the flavour even further, add herbs and spices. I like adding dried mint, for example, or zaatar.
For more health information, sign up for my free weekly eNewsletter on www.AliaAlmoayed.com
TUNE in to Alia Almoayed's weekly live internet radio show entitled: Dare to be Healthy, which airs live every Monday night. Go to www.AliaAlmoayedRadio.com
