Sunday, May 11, 2008

6 Tips for Making Healthy Salads

6 Tips for Making Healthy Salads

 
*One of the true blessings of our modern age is the all-year round
availability of fresh vegetables and fruit on the shelves of supermarkets.
Using them in salads is a fast and easy way to boost your health, supply
your diet with vitamins and antioxidants, and ensure that your waist always
stays lean.*

fresh veggie salads eaten with the right fats on a daily basis, are one of
our best protectors against coronary heart disease and cancer?

I urge you to take a full advantage of the cornucopia of fresh fruit and
veggies by using these 6 tips for making truly healthful salads!
*1.* *Organic vegetables are your best choice.* However, if you are not able
to get them, be sure to wash your non-organic veggies thoroughly to remove
pesticides and other impurities. A good idea would be to soak them first
with Chlorox bleach (1 teaspoon per gallon) for 10 minutes, and then rinse
well.

*2.* *The key to a delicious salad is vegetables at the peak of freshness
and ripeness*. Tomatoes would be much sweeter, if you first keep them for a
few days in a dark place at room temperature, transferring to a fridge when
they are dark red, ripe, and juicy. Remember: salads, herbs and greens kept
too long eventually lose their valuable nutrients.

*3. Jazz up your salads with raw, homemade dressings* made of high quality,
extra-virgin olive oil, unrefined flax seed oil, apple cider vinegar,
freshly-squeezed lemon juice, avocado, or cultured cream. Avoid using
commercial dressings, since they usually contain rancid, cheap, low-quality
vegetable oils, preservatives, and coloring additives and offer little
nutritious value.

*4. Give salads some flash using vegetables of different colours!* A salad
mixed with green, white, red, and yellow components ensures a full range of
health-promoting minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and enzymes.

*5. You CAN cook a salad!* Try steaming or blanching your vegetables before
mixing them into a salad. Heat actually makes nutrients in certain
vegetables, such as asparagus or broccoli, more available to your body. This
is also helpful if you have a delicate intestinal tract, since raw
vegetables may not be advisable.

*6. Finish with a cheese flourish!* On top of your salad, grate or crumble
the cheese of your choice , such as Parmesan, Roquefort, Brie, or Goat's
Feta and it becomes an instant delight for your eyes and taste buds.

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