Boomers Healthy Salad Recipes

Vegetarian Salad - Spring mix  or Romain 

with add-on choices of:

• chick beans
• kidney beans
• cherry tomatoes
• black/green olives
• red/green peppers
• sliced radish
• broccolis
• cauliflowers
• sliced red unions
• shredded carrots
• sliced almonds
• sunflower seeds
• banana chips

Choices of Salad Dressings : (1 - 2 scoops)

• seseme Thai
• balsamic
• French
• Ranch
• Greek
• Italian light
• red wine vinegar
• olive oil

• More salad recipes

• Cooking in my kitchen

I am the salad man at IBM 3600 Steele Avenue East, Ontario Canada.  My nickname is salad man David   People can Google me by typing in the Google search box my nickname.  Yes, that is true.  You can try this and come back to continue reading this article later on.  Today I am going to tell you buddies my own salad story and stories  I heard at my salad station.

Let me start my salad story.  Before I took up the job in the salad station,  I did not eat any salad.  I ate very little vegetables and I ate them only when my wife requested me to do so.  She always says, "People needs vegetables and you have to eat some".  I did not like the taste; they are not as tasty as beef, pork and chicken, not to mention fish and shrimp.  You know this is very common especially among men and children.  

My health is ok.  I don't have any serious illness.  I can walk and do exercise.  There is nothing wrong with my body.  I have my annual medical check up.  The family doctor told me my ECG was fine, physical check-up was good, blood test was normal.   So for past 18 years, everything was fine until two years ago my family told me to watch out my diet telling me my cholesterol was on the borderline.  I should avoid those fast food, deep fried food, etc.  Otherwise, my cholesterol would go higher and medication would be necessary.  For two years in a roll, my blood test showed that my cholesterol was in the grey area.    My family doctor in his firm tone reminded me to change my eating habit.  

It was around that time I was assigned to the new job as the salad man.  To know my salads and to promote them with confidence,  there is no better way than to eat the salads daily myself.  In this way, I started eating salad.    During the weekdays from Monday to Thursday, my lunch is nothing but salad.  Now, I have my salad even at home.    

Several days after eating salad daily my body felt much better than before, the feeling of more energized,   body is light, feet movements are crispy and fast, the whole body feels good.     These are good signs and they are encouraging.    I continued my salad eating habit for over half year when I did my most recent medical check up and my blood test.  The results were perfect.   The blood test revealed my cholesterols are perfect. My family doctor was surprised and asked me what I had done to my body.   I told him I have not done anything special except I have a new eating habit that is salad eating for every lunch.      He told me the salads I ate are good for my body.  As  I treat my body well,  my body is nice to me now. 


Some people came to my salad station and I asked them why they like my salad.  Most people said they want to eat healthy.  It is the New Year resolution.  Some said they want to reduce weight.  Some said they are vegetarians and they have been eating like that since birth.  Today, people are more knowledgeable about eating healthy.  More and more people begin eating vegetables and fruits.   

Before I let you go, here is my veggie salad recipe:

Main Ingredient are Romaine Lettuce and Iceberg Lettuce
(wash lettuce clean, repeat washing for couple of times to ensure they are clean.  Then cut them into small bite sizes for easy eating)
Now, you can add the following choices of:

• sliced tomatoes   
• sliced cucumbers
• sliced red peppers
• sliced green peppers

Now, for the salad dressings:

• Red wine vinegar
• olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl with the dressing.  It is now ready to serve.  By the way,  try to skip the regular dressings they contain too much calories.

Links:

• Spring Mix salad
• Cheese salad
• Protein salad

P.S.

People don't actually realize a lot of antioxidant foods are from vegetables.  e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and peppers are all excellent choices with great benefits for your body.  For vegetables go for those that are rich in color. They have lot of phytonutrients. They are nutrients found in the skins of several fruits and vegetables.  They give the food colors as well as flavors and scent.


The advantage of raw salads over cooked vegetables is the content of nutrients.  There are more nutrients and vitamins in the raw salads whereas in the cooked vegetables the cooking process destroys some of the nutrients especially the enzymes which are essential for people's vitality.  That is the reason why after taking fresh salad say for one week you feel good in your body.  You feel you are energized and your body movements are light and swift.