A Week of Salads

One of my favorite things to have for lunch during the week is a giant salad! Getting a full bowl full of veggies in during the day really helps keep me on track with healthy eating. Every batch of salads is different, but they are all made the same way.

First, I assemble all of the ingredients (so I don't forget anything!). I usually buy whatever is on sale or things that sound good.

I start by rinsing and spinning the greens and spreading them out between the 5 bowls. I absolutely love the 2 salad bowls I have! I got them at Bed Bath and Beyond a few years ago. I will eventually get 3 more so I have enough for the work week, but for now, I just use reusable ziploc containers.

Source

Rinse and chop all of the veggies. I try to make sure my salads are as colorful as possible. Different colored veggies have different kinds of nutrients, so the more variety, the better! It's easy to think of the food rainbow. Here I have red tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow pepper, white mushrooms, and green broccoli, spinach & celery. A red onion or purple cabbage could be added for purple. Blue is hard to get in a salad, but I love blueberries, so that's usually how I get my blue color in!

Usually the veggies I add are all zero PointsPlus on Weight Watchers, but sometimes I like to add extras. This week, I added sunflower kernels. I used raw, unsalted kernels, which I roasted on low for about 15 minutes.

Once the salads are assembled, I add the toppings & dressing. Goat cheese is my favorite cheese on salads, but I also like blue or feta cheese as well. I weigh my portion to get a half ounce, which is just 1 PointsPlus. I also measure out 1 or 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and a glug of balsamic vinegar.

I used to think I could never enjoy a salad dressed only in olive oil and vinegar, but now I love it! I think it helps to have all of the different veggies, and of course, the creamy goat cheese. Plus, it helps me get in my healthy oil Good Health Guideline for Weight Watchers! Also, a lot of the vitamins in the veggies are fat soluble, so having the oil helps the body absorb the vitamin.

Making a week's worth of salads on Sunday does take awhile, but it's absolutely worth it! After cleaning up Sunday night, I don't have to worry about making lunches for the rest of the week. The veggies hold up very well, as long as the dressing stays separate. Sometimes I pair the salad with a turkey sandwich, a bowl of soup, a greek yogurt, or some Popchips (if I'm feeling snacky).

I hope I've shown you how simple it can be to prepare 5 salads at one time!