'Salad' The Main Dish!

When I started working as a Health Coach back in 2005 I didn't know how it would change my life and the lives of my family, my friends, and my clients.  I remember when I first started working as a Health Coach & teacher and it brought me so much joy!  It is a blessing when a job can bring one so much joy!  Working in the health field is definitely my calling and passion!  Then I was introduced to Dr. Joel Fuhrman and his book 'Eat to Live' when I started working full time for Christian Care Ministry.  Great book and great information!  It was a lot to take in at first because it was a lot of information.  But the information was great and we have incorporated it into our lifestyle.  My favorite health book is 'Super Immunity' by Dr. Fuhrman and I read that in 2011 when it came out and it really changed my life for the good.  It taught me a lot about the micronutrients vs. macronutrients which helps with combating and preventing viruses and diseases.

One of the biggest changes was making salad the main course.  Most meals are based around a meat/protein or a starch of some sort.  Try making salads the main dish and add fun things to it.  Salads can be a lot of fun and can be very nutritious.  They do not have to be boring but can be colorful and full of crunch!  Most of my clients said they would be so hungry but your body gets used to eating this way.

Salads can be so much fun to make and create!

A salad should start with a base like spinach, spring greens, kale, cabbage or any combination of cruciferous vegetables.  Then add favorite vegetables like onions, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, zucchini, etc... Then add a healthy fat like sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.  I sprouted my sunflower seeds for several days ahead of time to release more nutrition.  And then a final fun to the salad... add beans!  I like hummus in my salad or my roasted red pepper spread.  I like the spreads because it is the dressing.  I have had a lot of clients who do not like salad and load on the salad dressing.  Most of the time salad dressings are high in fat, salt and unknown ingredients.  So the bean spreads are a good alternative and they are tasty and it is a complete meal.  If grains are desired a little bit of brown rice, wild rice, quinoa or barley are good in a salad too.  A small amount goes a long way. 

Soak 1 cup of raw sunflower seeds in 2-3 cups of water for 4-6 hours.

Allow to sprout for 2-3 days.  Rinse 2x a day.  Until they look like these.  Just a small sprout or a tail out of the end.

The vegetables I used for this salad.

I like head lettuce because it is crunchy.  Kale and cabbage are yummy too.

Chop up vegetables into your favorite shapes and sizes.  And mix all together.

Add about 1/4 cup of the sprouted sunflower seeds.  And a few dollops of hummus or other bean spread.

Simple Salad w/hummus & sunflower seeds

2-3 cups of salad greens

1 tomato, chopped

1/3 onion, sliced

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1/2 pepper (any color), chopped

3 mushrooms, sliced

4 green onions, diced

1/4 cup sprouted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup hummus

Mix together and enjoy!

Salad can be fun!  Be creative and eat healthy!