Great Summer Salads

I love eating salad in the summer, when everything is so fresh. Doesn’t this look so good?

Salads are not just a quick weight loss tool– they are SO nutritious because they incorporate so many varieties of raw foods. Cooked food has enzymes in it, which your body sees as toxic. Your body must work hard to digest the cooked food, and break it down into suitable nutrition. And don’t even ASK about the processed food garbage and what it does to the body!

I’ve been eating a lot less meat and much more salad meals. I usually do in the summer, but I’ve been making a concerted effort to do so. I have found that I eat more salads when there is a lot of vegetable “stuff” hanging out in the fridge. Here are some ideas for making salads– and the possibilities are truly endless–

Collard greens
Swiss chard
Red cabbage, shredded
Kale
Tomatoes (Roma are nice because they slice well and aren’t pulpy)
Red pepper
Raw garlic cloves marinated in olive oil
Snow pea pods
Black olives

Here’s a tip: when you are looking for greens to add to the salad, skip the iceberg lettuce. It has virtually no nutrition. Grab the greens like kale and spinach– much better for you.

Also, if you must add meat or cheese to the salad, try some pre-cooked shrimp or leftover chicken. The shrimp is SO EASY to add- run the frozen bag under cool water, and toss the thawed shrimp on the salad. For cheese, try feta, which is SO yummy with the garlic cloves and olives.

Mmmmmmm.