Reinventing The Salad: How To Make It a Meal You Look Forward To
Salad makeover- healthy meal for office lunch
Lunch is an essential meal for busy bees like office workers, but it’s easy to fall into a rut with all the buzzing around you have to do. A study about lunchtime eating habits by Lurpak shows that 30% of the studied 2,000 office workers have the same dish for lunch everyday. Not only that, many workers opt for quick and convenient meals, such as a sandwich or premade pasta to save time. Although these options make sense to a busy bee, they might not be the healthiest, most nutrition-packed foods.
“What about fast and healthy food like salad?”
Usually salad is the classic dish that comes up when we think of a healthy diet. But if we talk about salad, many people will think of a boring pile of greens with cliché dressing that only sounds tolerable for those who aim to lose weight.
Well, let’s change that! Salad is one of the best healthy meal that is easy to prepare, requires short prep/cooking time, and does not need re-heating with microwave. All you need to do is just a little planning.
“Salad is my first option lunch not only I am on diet because of its low calories, also it is very convenient” – a sales office worker.
Diversified ingredients make your salad special
In this article we want to help upgrade your office lunch by reinventing salad dish to make it more exciting. With a few tips, your lunch can be just as enjoyable as any meal of the week. Here’s how to elevate your salad dish into a delicious and fulfilling lunch.
Incorporate Fruit for Sweetness and Energy
Incorporating fruit into your salad is an excellent way to add natural sweetness and nutrients such as vitamins. Create dynamic taste in your salad with sweetness from sour berries, crunchy apples, or juicy citruses. If you’re looking for a tangy and savory taste, try a green papaya salad, a popular Thai dish. Vitamins from various fruits can boost you energy, keeping you alert and energized to finish the day.
Add Texture and Depth with Nuts and Dark Chocolate
Snacks such as dark chocolate and nuts are deliciously creative options with health benefits as well. Dark chocolate contains high amounts of antioxidants which helps prevent heart disease, and the caffeine in chocolate provides sustained energy to keep you awake. According to Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, “When looking for a sweet snack, a square of dark chocolate might, in fact, be your healthiest choice.” Nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pecans are amazing choices for crunch and saltiness with abundant sources of nutrition as well.
Make It Savory with Seafood
Seafood is a protein meat with savory taste. Try adding smoked salmon, grilled scallops, or boiled shrimp to your salad. Along with protein, seafood is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are excellent for the heart and even boosting your mood.
Make It Pretty with Color
Don’t limit your salad to just iceberg or salad greens. Try integrating different kinds of colorful vegetables such as radicchio, red cabbage, beets, sweet potatoes, or seasonal veggies. Use your creativity to mix and match, making the salad colorful, more fun, and nutrient dense. A study of color professor J.L. Morton also shows that warm colors make food seem more appetizing. Maybe you’ll want a salad for dinner too!
Dress It Up
Say yes to new styles of dressing, even if you make them yourself. Salad dressing is easy to make in a blender or food processor, and is a much healthier option to storebought. We love Herby lime dressing, Peanut dressing, Sesame-miso vinaigrette, Wasabi-Ponzu dressing. Great dressing will help your salad feel less dull and more tangy.
Play with your salad and you might be surprised that it becomes your next favorite office lunch!
Meet Rootasters:
Belle is an organic lover who found out her passion in a healthy lifestyle while studying Master Degree in Boston. What makes her happy is simple, wandering around the riverside on her running shoes, roaming in downtown with her sister and spending the day in her place to do some handicrafts or making homemade meals all bring a smile on her face.