Eating healthy is often tied with the notion that it will take much more time and much more money to make it happen. I believe it to be false in so many ways. It sure is true that some healthy things are more expensive but one day of unpreparedness and a quick stop over to the food court and the numbers are all the same if not worse for the junk eating. One of my first posted recipes is not a specific recipe but a concept that has revolutionized my "lunch". Having a salad for lunch is not a novel concept for me. I'm always counting my vegetable intake and I know counting on 4-5 servings at lunch is a sure way to make me successful on most days. I like to think of it as my phytonutrient prescription. Prior to this revolutionary concept, I came across on a blog I'd quickly throw things together in the morning. The salad wasn't always fancy that's for sure. I was introduced to the salad in a jar concept and I have been sold ever since. How would you like to prep your lunches for the week in not much more time it took you to prepare one? How would you like to have the time to make it a tad bit fancier and tastier? All these benefits while saving money along the way? The good old mason jar is the answer. I'd recommend a large neck screw top so it's easier to get the salad out. You'll also need to keep one large salad bowl and fork at work.
Instructions
Step #1 invest in good quality extra virgin olives and balsamic vinegars.
One: They taste way way better Two: They actually provide health benefits like antioxidants.
Check out Olivesontap.com you can have the fun of tasting all the oils and vinegars in the store (North Vancouver, BC) or if you are not local they ship Canada-wide. Another option is to find your local sources at truthinolive.com. Olive oil is #1 among the
top fraudulent foods
.
Step #2 invest in some good quality pieces that will spice up the salad!
How about dried blueberries, cranberries?
How about some raw nuts. And for a treat some caramelized walnuts?
Step #3
Aim for getting fruits and vegetables that fall under the colours of the rainbow. The more variety in colour the more diverse the nutrients you are eating
Putting it all together.
Put olive oil and balsamic vinegar at bottom of mason jar.
Then place hard vegetables that do well marinating (peppers, carrots etc.)
Layer with more fragile stuff like green leafy vegetables.
Think of protein sources in order to make your salad more sustaining (pre-cooked chicken, nuts, seeds, legumes)
Close and put in the fridge
Bring to work and eat 4-5 servings of veggies yay!
Recipe Notes
When end up saving so much time because the difference to chop carrots for 1 day vs 7 is negligible! The barrier you create between the oil & vinegar with the hard vegetables ensures the green leaves stay fresh and crispy for the week!