Tertia LabuschagneDelicious Winter Salad
My body loves rhythm and predictability. I love the same 26 posture yoga every day. I love the same dishes every week, sometimes the same lunch and the same breakfast for most days. My mind loves organisation - it has so many things to think about that not having to think about certain things - makes me happy, efficient and able to flow.
My eating style certainly changes by season, depending on routine and what my body needs at the time - but I almost always can eat a similar dish multiple times a day - knowing what is coming, knowing that it is easy to put together - makes me feel good and focused. That said, I don't eat a 3-5 ingredient meal. I love variety in my meals. It keeps it exciting and tasty and ensures that I get the majority of nutrients I need from my meals rather than from supplementation - which is expensive and often ineffective - especially without a proper diagnosis and tes
This last month I have been swamped, but I did not want to compromise on my nutrition. For me, it's always a challenge to eat enough - amongst other things, not eating enough means weight gain for my body - which is something I am conscious of at the moment - who hasn't gained a bit of weight during the pandemic?
My routine is unpredictable at the moment, not something my body and mind likes. Regular meals, however, help anchor me in a routine. So I have been ensuring I have lunch with me wherever I go.
Here is a mix-and-match recipe to give you some ideas that you can use for your daily lunch or as a side dish.
WINTER SALAD
INGREDIENTS
You can use a variety of these ingredients to make your salad as colourful and tasty as you can. My weekly goal is to consume 60 unique ingredients - to ensure the widest variety of minerals, vitamins and nutritional elements.
One or a combination of:
Bulgur Wheat
Quinoa
Black rice
Lentils
Chickpeas
Beans
One or a combination of:
Pesto
Hummus
Vinaigrette (I love apple vinegar, with freshly chopped mint (or a toothpick touch of dōTERRA Peppermint Essential Oil - a drizzle of Olive Oil - sweetened with a bit of apple juice, if needed)
Coco Aminos
Tahini paste
One or a combination of:
Finely cut baby spinach
Finely cut swiss chard
Freshly chopped fresh herbs of your choice - chives, coriander, basil, parsley, sage, bay leaf, tarragon, spring onion
A combination of:
Diced cucumber
Grated carrots
Peas or edamame Finely chopped or grated celery
Finely chopped or grated onion
Diced roasted beetroot
Roasted or Steamed Pumpkin
Toppings:
Feta cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Goji Berries
Dried cranberries
Chopped sundried tomatoes
Toasted seeds (flaxseed, sesame, sunflower etc.) - also see our Seed Granola Recipe Red chilli flakes
PREP
I like to prepare the ingredients ahead of time (Sundays are my meal prep days).
I chop and cook most of the ingredients upfront and pop them into the fridge.
The night before (if I am working off-site), I pop it into a container ready to grab the following day - or - if working from my home office - it takes 2mins to mix and match my salad - according to what I feel like for the day.
In winter, especially on cold days, I pop this salad into the microwave for a minute before I add the dressing - and voila - you have a delicious, nourishing warm water salad.
TIPS
You can turn these ingredients into a poke bowl - delicious in summer
You can add on an additional animal protein of choice if desired, e.g. chicken, fish, beef etc.
Having these ingredients ready in the fridge also prevent unhealthy snacking - by making it super simple to choose to snack on a mini-salad when the urge to snack hits.
ON THE RUN
If you missed your prep day - or if the whole family munched your salad - and you find yourself in front of an empty fridge - you can run past Woolworths and grab one or two of these.
Baby Spinach & Bulgur Wheat Salad Roast Pumpkin, Bulgur Wheat & Quinoa Salad Bulgur Wheat & Lentil Salad Green Pesto & Bulgur Wheat Salad
I prefer combining two of these varieties to get a broader range of flavours and nutrients into a meal.
Enjoy and let me know how you go with your winter salad.