It’s salad-eating season! High in fiber, low in calories and rich with nutritional value, salads are a lean body’s best friend.
However, after weeks of eating salads, they can get a little boring. The bowl of greens topped with our favorite protein may still quiet the hunger, but we stop feeling satisfied. You know what I’m referring to— it’s the craving for something more even though you’re not hungry. From my own personal experience and that of others, I’ve learned that our commitment to our goals starts to fade a bit when this feeling sets in. No one wants that.
So what do we do to avoid it? One strategy is to find small ways to keep our diets interesting, so we don’t fall into rut and then find ourselves falling off track and landing in a big tub of peanut butter. You can try making pancakes out of your oats and egg whites, throwing a teaspoon of salsa into your ground turkey with veggies, adding diced jalapeno into your tuna, etc. As it relates to salads, you can have fun glamming up your greens with simple skinny homemade dressings. Give my creations a try! Enjoy!
JB’S CREAMY AVOCADO
Yields 11 servings.
Each serving: 2 tablespoons
5 oz avocado
1¼ c. almond milk
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/8 c. tarragon (or other herb)
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ lemon rind, zested
Ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend all ingredients together and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 23 calories | 2g fat | 1g carb | <1g protein
JB’S DIJON VINAIGRETTE
Yields 1 serving.
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Favorite salt-free seasoning to taste (I like Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Salt Free Seasoning)
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together and serve.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 49 calories | 5g fat | <1g carb | <1g protein
JB’S SUPER EASY SALSA VINAIGRETTE
Yields 1 serving.
2 tbsp salsa (I prefer to use fresh salsa sold in the product section of grocery store as it has less sodium, sugar and preservatives)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine together and serve.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 53 calories | 5g fat | 1g carb | 1g protein
JB’S RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE (not shown)
Yields 2 servings.
Each serving: Approx. 1 ½ tablespoons
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ ounce raspberries
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend all ingredients together and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 42 calories | 5g fat | 8g carb | 0g protein
Push Toward Your Best
When it comes to “dieting,” we often focus on everything we can’t have rather than everything we can. When we do this, we are fueling cravings, as what we focus on expands. Instead of obsessing about the “red light” foods, get creative with what you can have. Or, even better, invest your thoughts in something more productive like: how I can have more fun, stress less and love more today?
Keep pushing— your best is waiting.
