Summer is almost here! With the warmer weather and longer days, it’s no wonder everyone loves summertime.
One of my favorite reasons to love the summer is making crisp summer salads. Summer salads can be found on many lunch and dinner tables this season as much of the fresh produce is reaching its nutritional peak and offering the most significant levels of health benefits. The freshest summer fruits and vegetables can be skillfully and creatively combined to create a delicious feast for family and friends. With all the fresh produce available, it’s no wonder so many people feel healthier during the summer.
The health benefits of summer salads can be beneficial to many people, especially kids. During the summer months, the warmer weather we like to get outside and be more active. We hike, bike, swim, and even sightsee during the summer months. However, all these outdoor summer activities can zap our energy and water from faster than average. Eating a fresh salad is a great way for us to recoup the lost power and water.
Summer salad health benefits can easily be boosted by adding protein to the combination. Adding these bodybuilding super foods can effortlessly convert a little side salad to a full-sized main course. Salads are an excellent way to use leftover chicken, steak, or pork. Other protein sources like beans, eggs, cheese, tuna, salami, ham, shrimp, and turkey are also great additions to summer salads. Going meat-free? Substitute meat with beans.
Nuts are a yummy and healthy addition to salads as well. Walnuts, almonds, or pecans are great options to add a little zing to any summer salad.
A healthy salad dressing is key to fully realizing the summer salad health benefits. The best salad dressing oils have high amounts of monounsaturated fats and low amounts of omega-6 fats. Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and MCT oil are not only delicious, but they also can help lower the risk of heart disease and may improve blood sugar control. Mix them with apple cider vinegar or the juice of citrus fruits plus a little herbs and spices to make a delicious salad dressing.
When creating summer salads, remember to wash and clean all the ingredients before consuming thoroughly.
Here is a salad I made recently that had my family begging for more. This salad blends crisp cucumbers, ripe avocados, onions, fresh basil, and grilled chicken breasts with vine-ripened tomatoes. The entire preparation took less than five minutes to put together but offered tons of nutrients.
