It occured to me yesterday speaking to someone that when someone says they are eating a salad-that could be a lot of different things for each individual. IN fact, I was out to dinner last night and the waiter tried to have my daughter swap her spinach for another "salad" which consisted of eggplant tomatoes and cheese. Hmmmm....I don't think so! I said, "thank you, but, I think she will have the spinach".
Typically our night time meal consists of a raw salad without fail. I prefer using crunchy leaves as opposed to soft ones that wilt quickly once the dressing has been added. So, I often use green or red cabbage-one or the other or both and then trhow in darker leafy greens such as kale or spinach or other dark leafies. Sometimes I will do just spinach as the base-that's about as soft as I get. Then I add in cherry tomatoes orange, red or yellow peppers and onions. Sometimes I will chop up raw leaks instead of onion. I alternate mixing in avocado too-it i makes it quite rich and yummy. All of these different textures and flabors really makes eating the vegetable part of the meal super tastey and at night time just the right kind of heavy.
Using these different variables for a base, you can make the salad taste differently and you can throw in and out any veggies you like. But, it is aheavy veggie dish not a leaf dish-make sense? As a dressing, I plut olive oil lemon garlic powder and pink salt and I often use dried basil.
I dont do this, but, you could throw in seed and nuts on top if you like them as extra flavor and nutrition. I personally love that with mozzarella cheese for a lunch dish.
In any case, I am an OK cook, not the best, but, I am always complimented on my salads and It makes me feel good because I feel like I am giving my family good nutrition each night.
Dr.M
Comments
THis is great! I often have
THis is great! I often have grilled or steamed veggies at lunch, but lately I have been having a big salad at dinner with a protien, and thanks you you, skipping the carb. As I said to some other patients, at first I was grumpy about skipping the carb, but I am not missing it as much because of my salad!!
I have red butter lettuce and some darker greens or thinly sliced cabbage or radicchio. I slice up some green apple VERY thin. My girls eat so much more salad with the green apple in it! I also put seasonal apples or pears in for them as they LOVE THIS. I always have an avocado, and cucumber and bell pepper and a few cherry tomatoes. I have been doing olive oil, and Trader Joes has a garlic salt grinder that is very good to use on top or I will sprinkle some dry italian herb mix or sometimes a small amount of fresh basil ribbons. I also love roasted red bell pepper. This time of year I find lemon cucumbers which are my favorite!!
Sometimes for my youngest daughter I will slice up strawberries, add a pinch of maple sugar and a pinch of salt and stir the strawberries so they are mascerated (lots of juices) then add that to her salad with some olive oil and toss very well. She will eat the whole salad when I do this :) I also lately have had a few olives (from the can with only water and salt) and those are satisfying in my salad.
I tolerate cooked lemon so sometimes I will sautee some garlic and oil and then add a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt to make a warm dressing.
When I am eating yogurt I sometimes make a creamy yoghurt dressing. I am thinking of making a roasted tomato dressing next. Thank you Dr. M!
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
I love salads, but for a long
I love salads, but for a long time, years salads have torn up my insides, a laxative effect with lots of cramping pain. Is this common to have a hard time with digesting lettuce? When I do attempt salad I just mix green and red cabbage with ground bison or chicken and avocado slices with some pink salt. I love the crunch of the cabbage, and don't seem to have such a strong reaction in my gut with cabbage.
Oh boy, this is so timely for
Oh boy, this is so timely for me! I am re-introducing raw veggies after a time of tummy problems. I was doing great until I added cucumber and whoa, a major tummy ache and inflammation that continues. So, am now recovering and going to omit that and take 1 veg at a time. I am ok with lightly STEAMED together, finely chopped (mini-chopper) cabbage abd broccoli and sometimes celery and keep in freezer, breaking off bits as required...still some crunch but gentler..handy during busy times.. I just sprinkle on a bed of greens (currently fresh from garden), add some avocado, olive oil and salt...this plus hard boiled egg or chicken or meat is delicious!! This post is encouraging to try some green peppers and spinach and more...thank you Dr M and all
Lolo, yes, I forgot to
Lolo, yes, I forgot to mention yes I steam my cabbage first too and finely chopped bit leave so has a little crunch to it. So hard to always eat supper soft soggy food all the time! Darn tummy! :( Fun to see what others eat and will save for later when tolerating more exciting food! :)
is there something wrong with
is there something wrong with 'softer" lettuces like romaine? That is one of the few green things I can get my older kids to eat happily- a salad with romaine, peppers, cucumbers. I am feeling so frustrated with my kids vegetable intake right now. i swear I started them right and they just seem tobe getting more and more ANTI veg!
thanks
Thanks to all of you for the
Thanks to all of you for the great responses! I also wanted to say for the kids and for you ladies when your bladders are more along the lines of list 3+, making a dip with a base of sour creme and adding in olive oil, dill garlic powder and salt and using that as a dip for your veggies is a great snack and if you put it out for the kids when they come home from school, they lap it up like puppies:) It is delicious.
Another great snack is cut up bell pepper with a slice of cheese on it. I eat that often, it is a nice blend of white mild chese and slightly sweet bell pepper. Yum!
Dr. M, what benefits are
Dr. M, what benefits are there in terms of raw vs. cooked veggies? And how much raw should we eat (especially after treatment)?
Well, all of the new thinking
Well, all of the new thinking is that raw is best. And, to a large extent, I too agree with this thinking. However, in the ancient chinese texts-it is said that if one has a "spleen" weakness (spleen is not the literally anatomical spleen but rather a word thar refers to the digestive organs working as a whole) than, that person should be consuming cooked vegetables to be enable them to digest their food. I adopt this practice when it is clinically applicable and sometimes I find it to be quite helpful. I think if you are having a hard time digesting, incorporating different rations of raw and cooked is wise, and then over time, increasing the raw and decreasing the cookd is also wise. If one is eating meat and other forms of animal protein, those foods are most often cooked-so you get the balance of the cooked and the raw if your veggies are eaten raw. So, to me this is a good baalnce. Raw foodies not eating animal protein may be at risk for causing imbalances for the sum total of everything being raw. Hope this explanation helps.
Dr.M
Yes it does. Thanks so much.
Yes it does. Thanks so much.