Make this your "goto" lunch!

Finding time to break for lunch, not to mention finding the time to pack a satisfying meal before leaving in the morning, is challenging.  By planning ahead and keeping it simple, I can pull together a nutritious salad in the morning and make the time to eat it right at my desk at lunchtime. The key is to keep washed, trimmed, and peeled salad basics such as lettuce, celery, carrots, cukes, tomatoes and onion on hand and ready to go. Wash, trim and store the lettuce, celery and carrots immediately upon arriving home. I wash the onions, cucumbers and tomatoes, of course, but do not trim them until I ready to use. Spin your lettuce dry using a salad spinner and keep it chilled. A salad spinner is an essential tool. Crisp firm lettuce provides the base for many salads contributing to the crunch and satisfaction factors. A good crunchy salad satisfies my cravings even when I have the urge to mindlessly munch on chips or crackers. 

But, it is best to avoid buying the cheapest, bottom-of the-line salad spinner. Theses models are unbalanced--when spinning--the bowl does not stay in one place on the countertop, which is annoying. Generally, a cheap spinner also does not spin the lettuce dry enough and soggy lettuce will ruin any salad.  I am really satisfied the moderately priced Oxo Good Grips Salad Spinner  (though when you go to store it, it is a tad large due to the top of the spinner mechanism). You can purchase it on Amazon, right through our shop page (we get a small, and I mean small, commission to help us continue to bring you healthful, green ideas) or you can find it at your local Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target, etc. If these three items (lettuce, celery and carrots) are ready to cut, a salad is easy to pull together in a matter of minutes. Depending upon your mood and what is available, you can add chopped onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The salad above consists of a thin layer of chopped romaine lettuce, onion, celery and tomatoes topped with a small amount of blue cheese and leftover grouper from last night's dinner.

Feel free to leave the cheese out or substitute the blue cheese with feta, gorgonzola, or shaved aged parmesan cheese. I also like to try cheeses made from sheep or goat's milk, which are typically lower in lactose. Instead of the grouper, leftover chicken or canned tuna works well. On Meatless Monday, I try to take the opportunity to avoid, in addition to meat, all animal products including the cheese. On Monday's, I may add instead sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, or walnuts and maybe some dried cranberries and chopped apples. By the way, Meatless Monday is a John Hopkins’s School public health initiative designed to cut meat consumption by 15%, a very reasonable goal for our nation's collective health. It is a also a practical initiative as I like to be reminded, on at least one day of the week, to take it a step further and eat fruits and vegetables only. Jen Nader, my partner at thebelist avoids almost all animal products each and every day and has the hair, skin and nails to prove it. Check out her article at ezine.com on how she stays and looks so healthy.

At the belist, we urge you to stop purchasing processed bottled salad dressing and make your own. It is healthier and much cheaper.  I have gotten in the habit of avoid using a little extra virgin olive oil and a specialty vinegar on my salads. It is worthwhile to invest in quality balsamic vinegar or good champagne or white wine vinegar. The salad pictured above is spritzed lightly with extra virgin olive oil using a MISTO, an oil sprayer used for spreading oil evenly on salad greens, grilled vegetables, bruschetta, focaccia, and grilled or roasted vegetables. The MISTO also you to get great coverage without soaking the salad. Getting back to the vinegars, when traveling, I find it fun to shop for interesting vinegar products.  It is a relatively inexpensive way to remember the area and to catalogue some regional favorites.

To ensure that you are full after lunch and not tempted to snack later, I drink a 20-ounce glass of water with the salad. Did you know that many times, we feel what we believe to be hunger pains that are actually signals to drink fluids. So when you are starving, down an 8 oz glass of water to see if you are satisfied. I love to keep an insulated cup at my desk that does not sweat and helps me keep track of the volume I am drinking.

Another fun lunch salad to make when tomatoes are plentiful and tasteful is a chopped tomatoes salad with chopped onions, feta cheese and olives. This salad requires no dressing at all! Mix the tomatoes, onions, and olives in a bowl. Salt and pepper lightly. The juice from the tomatoes and the juice from the olive mix to give the salad a good flavor. Toss lightly with feta or blue cheese and you are ready to go.

Take the time to make a lunch in the morning. It will help you stick to your budget and avoid the urge to order unhealthy menu items when you are out with co-workers. 

Let me know your nutritious lunch ideas.

Carol