Salads are a healthy option for a lot of people.
Not only are they low in calories, but they're also packed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy. Salads also offer a variety of colors, flavors, and textures that make it easier for you to eat a balanced diet.
Here are just some of the vitamins and minerals found in salads:
Vitamin A : The richest dietary source of vitamin A is carrots. One cup of chopped raw carrots supplies more than 200% of the recommended daily intake for this important vitamin.
Vitamin B12 : This water-soluble vitamin is found naturally in animal products like meat and fish, but it's also present in foods that have been fortified with it, like cereal and milk. It's important because it helps support nerve health and helps you maintain a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin C : It is most commonly found in vegetables like bell peppers, strawberries, tomato, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage. It helps in boosting the immune system and wards off common colds and fevers. Being an antioxidant, Vitamin C fights free radicals that damages our cells and tissues, which can help in preventing certain types of cancer. Plus, it aids in the absorption of Iron and protects against heart diseases. It is incredibly hard to absorb this mineral.
Beta - Carotene : It is an antioxidant found in yellow, orange and green leafy vegetables and fruits such as carrots, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli etc. The more intense the colour of the vegetable or fruit, the more beta-carotene it has.
Phytonutrients : These are the nutrients present in plants. Common phytonutrients include carotenoids such as lutein, flavonoids, coumarins, indoles, isoflavones, lignans, organosulfates and plant sterols. They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and help in preventing diseases.
Did you know that they're also great for your skin?
Salads contain a lot of antioxidants, which are great for your body and make it look healthy. They also have lots of fiber, which helps keep your digestive system working properly.
And there's another reason to love salads: they're super customizable! You can make them as light or as heavy as you like, depending on what you add to them. For example, if you want a salad that is filling, you could add some juicy chicken pieces or steak strips. In addition to being low in calories and high in nutrients, salads are easy to prepare—you don't need much time or effort to throw together something delicious! If you want something more substantial, like veggies and protein, then maybe some grilled salmon would be good for you?
And even though it might sound like a good idea to eat more salads, don't go overboard—they can be high in sodium if you're not careful!
A salad doesn't have to be boring, either. Here are five ways to jazz up your next salad:
1. Add some protein! If you want to add some extra protein to your meal, try adding some nuts or seeds. They're easy to pack in because they don't require refrigeration and can go anywhere with you!
2. Add some veggies! Add a mix of different kinds of vegetables into your salad—you'll get more vitamins and minerals this way than just mixing all types together!
3. Try adding some fruit! Fruit is packed full of vitamins, so if you want more vitamins in your salad, try adding some fruit! You can choose from any variety—just make sure it's not too sweet since that will mess up your palate when enjoying a healthy meal!
4. Choose different greens! Different types of greens have different levels of vitamins and minerals within them, so try mixing them up by choosing different types next time around!
Plus, it's easy to make something special by adding different toppings! Try out different nuts like cashew, almond, walnut, hazelnut and peanuts. If you have a bad case of sweet tooth in the morning, get adventurous! Add in some chocolate grating or sugar coconut chips.
Ever heard of G-BOMB. It is all you need to make bomb salad with enough micronutrients and phytochemicals to fuel you and improve your immunity. G-BOMB stands for Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds. It is the equation you need for a perfectly balanced and delicious salad.
So let’s go get a bowl of salad and start off some healthy lifestyles!
To start to off, check out our Chicken Cheese Salad recipe.
