Yep that's right. SALAD. I'm rethinking a lot of things in my life that I believed were the 'right', 'healthy' things to do/have/consume.
SALADS. I'm done with 'em.
Okay, not really done with them forever. But I am done with having them as part of my daily diet. Here's why.
1. I'm reducing the stress in my life. Embracing minimalism. There's so many ingredients to buy and keep track of (if you want to make a proper salad)! Various types of lettuce, cut up veggies, nuts, croutons, bits of cheese, maybe dried or fresh fruit, eggs or chopped chicken, salad dressing.... everyone is into BIG SALADS that have all the vitamins and minerals you need. For me, it's too much work to prepare and store the ingredients. Lettuce and greens have a very short shelf life and often start wilting or getting mildew-y within a couple days. And having all the different storage containers to keep everything in. GAH!
2. The cost of fresh ingredients, especially the highly perishable produce. For a 2 person household, I often can't use it up before it goes bad.
3. You gotta wash and dry all the produce well and store it in an airtight container, or ziplock with paper towels and squeeze all the air out. I don't want E-coli or whatever else.... even the bagged produce or premade salads, that are supposed to be triple washed, often get recalled for contamination. There was a recent recall on plain old romaine lettuce.
I do love salads. If I see an enticing recipe and I'm in a certain mood, I will make them occasionally, maybe on the weekend. Or if I find a particular combination of components that I don't mind eating over and over until they are used up. For the time being, I am going to eat cooked/steamed veggies that I can prepare in advance and heat up with whatever else I'm eating. Some fresh, some frozen, whatever works for my schedule and budget.
What say you? Have you had similar epiphanies with food or anything else in your life?
My thoughts on Salad
March 28th, 2018 at 08:08 pm
March 28th, 2018 at 08:23 pm 1522268626
I buy organic greens and never wash them but i do wash everything else, which typically includes organic mini multi-colored bell peppers, sometimes cherry tomatoes, chopped raw red onion, which I love, a half can of kidney or garbanzo beans and sometimes marinated artichoke hearts or croutons. May throw in sunflower seeds or peas if I happen to have them on hand.
But that's me...i'm vegan and i like to cook/eat healthy, so it's a priority for me.
I like all these foods so I don't mind having them reside in the kitchen.
March 28th, 2018 at 08:28 pm 1522268900
March 28th, 2018 at 08:30 pm 1522269047
I actually feel it's pretty simple and end up eating the same things week in, week out. So far, so good.
If you prefer frozen produce, studies show it's as nutritious as fresh because most frozen food today is flash frozen to lock in the freshness. So it's a little more convenient.
To extend the life of my clamshhell salad greens, i use a dry paper towel to wipe down any condensation i see on the inside of container, then i use a new dry paper towel to lay on top of the greens, then store upside down. Each time i remove that paper towel from the previous day, it's always damp, so i have to think this is helping.
March 29th, 2018 at 01:49 am 1522288199
March 29th, 2018 at 02:33 am 1522290835
March 31st, 2018 at 12:43 am 1522456991
I cut everything up on Sunday and put in separate containers, and then each night put it together in my salad to go container. I don't find that it takes too much time.
But if its really not your thing, then load up on the frozen veggies.
April 1st, 2018 at 05:57 pm 1522605436
I find salads to be one of the easiest things to fix for myself when I get home from a long day at work when DH is out of town (he goes for a couple months at a time in the summer). My salads tend to be super-simple. I buy a bag of romaine hearts (they last longer than the baby greens). I usually add one other veg (something like bell pepper, tomato, or avocado), some cheese or canned fish, and a mixed salad topper like "naturSource Smart Life" and I'm good to go. It probably helps that I don't mind eating the same or very similar things over and over. I'm just happy to be able to get a pretty healthy meal prepped quickly and not-too-expensively.
April 1st, 2018 at 08:05 pm 1522613116