Simple Snack Salads

I know how easy it is to reach for that bag of chips, some candy, some salty crackers, etc when you have had a long day and you just want something to eat.

STOP!!!!

I always tell  my clients and friends, it truly is so important to plan and prep. Now I am not necessarily saying that you have to be one of the folks that preps an entire weeks worth of chicken, rice, sweet potatoes all in one day just so you have ALL meals fixed. I personally dont do this...but I do sit down and figure out what meals I want to cook for the week, I figure out what snacks I want to have at my fingertips, and I buy fresh, organic weekly. This is what works for me. I buy what I need. I dont set myself up to go into the grocery store and buy 80 boxes of something in bulk to save money....because 1. you rarely need that much of one particular thing 2. it can very easily lend itself to overeating that particular food (and if its something you throw in the microwave, boxed, or processed...typically this is NOT a food you want to be overeating 3. it can take some of the fun out of having variety and change in your diet.

I personally cannot eat chicken, brown rice, and broccoli every meal. Neither does my husband want to nor is that a productive way of teaching my 19 month old about variety. I am all about eating healthy, eating organic, eating balanced....but I also like creativity. I like enjoying my food for more than just a macro number or because I may gain that 1 pound. I am not knocking what others do....I just know what works for me...learning how to cook various dishes, learning how to pair certain flavors, learning to turn on the music and have fun in the kitchen with my family....laughing and talking the whole time. I know that being too strict with my prepping and planning can also lead to feelings of boredom, bingeing, resentment towards others that arent eating like me, and can also make me feel super inadequate if I slip up. So I just dont do it. Instead, I do what I can. Plan my meals weekly. Buy my groceries fresh weekly. Make enough at dinner for lunch the next day (that is a great time saver and definitely keeps you away from the "lunchtime monster" that sneaks up and gets alot of folks). And I make "snacks" that are healthy, good for my WHOLE family (not just something I want), and can be made in bulk so that I have them for a few days.

So after some requests, I wanted to share the two "salads" I have posted above:

Rainbow Fruit Salad

I used peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and grapes for this particular salad. I usually have enough fruit left over from what I used in the salad to either eat by itself, use for another recipe, or to make another fruit salad.

Wash, clean, and cut up the fruit to the desired size. I sprinkle 1 tsp (just one tsp) of raw turbinado sugar over the fruit and then use about 1/8 cup of raspberry white balsamic vinegar to sprinkle over it.

Let sit overnight.

The vinegar (a tip given to me by a dear friend) really makes the flavors of the fruit pop! So delicious. I use my son's baby bowls (very small) as my portion for the salad when I eat it. I like to have a bowl before I work out (its my all natural pre workout) so that I can utilize the sugar in my workout. I also like to have it as a dessert, especially on those days when I have completed a long run and need the refuel.

And awesome thing is that if for some reason, you cannot eat the salad before it starts to get "soft"...juice it up! I am a big supporter of juicing.

Another tip for those eating this as a healthy fuel...you can sprinkle it with strawberry protein powder and/or green superfood powder to help give it an even bigger boost.


Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad

2 large cucumbers
1/2 container of grape tomatoes
1/4-1/2 red onion.

Clean and dice up the above ingredients. I peel the skin off the cucumber so it can soak up the vinegar better, cut the tomatoes in halves, and dice the onion.

Place all the ingredients in your bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of dill and 1 tsp celery flakes. I usually sprinkle a couple of pinches of sea salt over it. Pour a 1/2 cup mixture of red wine vinegar and white vinegar (about 1/4 c of each) over the veggies. I then use about 1-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar...stir well and then pour a small amount of filtered water into the mix (until the veggies are ALMOST covered) stir well. cover and let sit for at least 4-6 hours before eating.

I store my salads in big tupperware type bowls. Easy to store. Easy to clean.

Happy snacking.