10 Simple Satisfying Salads

I love the idea of entertaining with salads. Especially since May is salad month. It feels like most people are trying to eat healthier. However, my population sample may be bias, since I am a Registered Dietitian (RD) who works primarily in weight management. Salads are a great way to get in a variety of micronutrients, and salads are a super filling meal with all the fiber.

There are several restaurants that have this build-your-own salad idea. You have the freedom to choose what you like. But, my favorite part of these restaurants are the salads that the chefs have suggested. You can do this too when you entertain. Make recipe cards or a chalkboard menu with ideas for assembling the ingredients into different salads. Here are some ideas for simple, satisfying salads:

Southern Italy Salad: Romaine lettuce or spinach, Sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms, shallots, Parmesan cheese

Summer Salad: strawberries, blueberries, spinach, pecans or sunflower seeds, feta, fruit vinaigrette

Fiesta Salad: carrots, corn, tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, Mexican cheese, black beans, grilled chicken or steak, avocado and lime juice or light ranch

Caprese Salad: tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, spinach, roasted or grilled chicken, pine nuts, oil and balsamic vinegar

Supreme Salad: Romaine lettuce and spinach, mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, onions, Canadian bacon, light ranch dressing

Caesar Salad: Romaine Lettuce, grilled chicken, Parmesan cheese, Caesar vinaigrette

Peachy Spring Salad: Arugula, spinach, radishes, cucumbers, peaches, and peach vinaigrette

Cobb Salad

Harvest Salad: Green apples, blue cheese, Romaine lettuce, red or purple cabbage, almonds or walnuts, grilled chicken or turkey, vinaigrette

Greek Salad: onions, olives, cucumber, Romaine lettuce or spinach, feta, chicken, oil and vinegar

RDtipoftheday Tips for Salads:
1) Salads are a great way to use leftovers.
You can add whatever protein, beans, cheese, veggies, or fruits you have leftover to salad greens. It is a quick, easy, healthy, and delicious meal. I love salads around the holidays, especially for balancing the heaviness of many holiday dishes. It is a great way to use all the leftovers, so you don't have to eat the same meal for a week. I also love to take salads to work as my lunch. This way, I can eat my leftovers but as a new and different meal.

2) Use what you have.
This tip coincides with tip #1. You don't have to use all the ingredients listed to make the salad. You can omit ingredients you don't have on hand or don't love. And, you can add other ingredients. Use what you love! Enjoy your simple, satisfying salad!

3) Make it your salad a complete, well-balanced meal.
Salads are a great way to get your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. They can be a well-balanced meal and also include dairy products aka cheese and protein (beans, chicken, poultry, etc.). I like to add baguettes, whole grain crackers, or another whole grain to go along with the meal. I like to have some sort of grain to "bulk up" the meal by adding fiber.

I hope you enjoy the salads and some easy entertaining. I would love to see how you are entertaining, so tag your entertaining pictures with #EasyEntree and #EasyEntertaining. You can also tag your healthy eating choices with #HealthyRD or #RDTODgoals. Remember to tag me @RDtipoftheday, so I can see what you do and maybe even feature you on the blog or Instagram.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

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Let's Celebrate May

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 6

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! 

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week.  Here's a reminder of what I did for the Healthy RD Challenge last week: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. Check out the links to get ideas on living a healthier lifestyle.



Healthy RD Challenge: Day 6
Today, I am eating whole grains, which is my #HealthyRD Day 6 healthy choice. I love the taste of whole grains. I loved white bread and white rice growing up. Louisiana cuisine is full of white rice in jambalaya, gumbo, and etoufee. I acquired the taste for whole grains as I got older. There are whole grain versions of all your favorite grains: whole grain rice, bread, oatmeal, tortillas, flour, popcorn, and pasta. To double-check that your grain choice is a whole grain, look for at least 2-3 grams of fiber per serving. Whole grains provide more fiber than refined grains.



Fiber is very beneficial to your health. Fiber helps make you feel full (satiety), can help with weight management, and can lower cholesterol levels. So, aim to eat at least 50% of your grain choices as whole grains. Get more fiber, and be healthy! 

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:



  

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Healthy RD Challenge Day 7



Five Tips to Eat More Fruits & Vegetables

Happy National Nutrition Month! Each day this week, we will focus on one healthy habit to work on. We are taking small steps to big results!

Today, we are discussing a healthy habit, which is . . . eating more fruits and veggies! We know that fruits and vegetables are important. I'm sure you've been told to eat more fruits or vegetables in your lifetime. But, why is it important? 

Importance of Eating Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients. Every color in fruits and vegetables represents a different micronutrient, vitamin or mineral, that helps nourish your body. Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber serves many purposes including: filling us up (satiety), aiding in regularity of bowel movements, and fiber can help lower cholesterol.

How can I eat more fruits and veggies?
1) Aim for 5 a Day
How can you reach a goal you haven't set? It's impossible. So, let's set a more specific goal and eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

2) Fill half of your plate with fruits or vegetables
I love the MyPlate model of building a healthy plate. You simply take your plate and fill half of it with fruits and vegetables. One serving of fresh fruit is about the size of your fist or a tennis ball. One serving of leafy vegetables is 1 cup. One serving of sliced fruit or cooked vegetables is 1/2 cup. If you fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, you will usually get 2 servings of fruits or vegetables per meal. If you eat 3 meals per day and have 2 servings of fruits or vegetables per meal, you will succeed (or maybe even exceed) your goal of getting five servings of fruits and vegetables per day!!

3) Choose a fruit or vegetable as a snack
Many fruits and vegetables are perfectly packaged to transport and eat on the go. Think about apples, bananas, carrots, celery, cuties, Mandarin oranges, and satsumas. One of my cousins would carry around a tomato and eat in as a snack.

4) Eat the Rainbow
As we discussed earlier, every different color in food provides us with different nutrients. So, challenge yourself to eat different colors and make a beautiful, nutritious plate.

5) Try a New Food
In my experience as a registered dietitian (RD), the most common reason I hear people do not eat fruits or vegetables is because they don't like the taste. Our taste preferences change over time, so I would encourage you to try a food you've had before and cook it differently. Challenge yourself to try a new food!


I hope you enjoyed these 5 tips on how to eat more fruits and vegetables. I hope you learned a little something. And, I hope you apply these simple steps to your life. Remember, small changes can produce big results. For more information on healthy eating, you might enjoy these posts on fiber, cholesterol, and healthy fats.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

February is American Heart Month

I hope you have enjoyed this month's celebration of American Heart Month. If you missed any of the ways you can improve your heart health, check out these posts on:

• Cholesterol and Heart Health
• Dietary Fats and Heart Health
• Fiber and Heart Health
• Sodium and Heart Health
• Physical Activity and Heart Health

So, how can you be heart healthy?
- Eat a Healthy Diet
- Be Physically Active
- Check in with Your Doctor

Food choices and physical activity level are modifiable factors that you change to improve your heart health. Please check with your personal RD or MD before staring a new diet or exercise program. 

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Dietary Fiber and Heart Health

February is American Heart Health Month, so we are looking at lifestyle changes you can make to be more heart healthy. So, how can you be heart healthy? 
- Eat a Healthy Diet
- Be Physically Active
- Check in with Your Doctor

Today we are focusing on healthy dietary choices to be more heart healthy. A diet high in fiber helps keep your heart healthy.

Types of Fiber
There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water. In the body, it serves attracts water to slow intestinal transit time. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water; it passes through the body undigested and speeds intestinal transit time. In other words, insoluble fiber has a laxative-type effect to help prevent constipation.

Food Sources of Fiber
Fiber is found in many foods. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are all good sources of fiber. Sources of soluble fiber include: apples, beans, blueberries, carrots, celery, cucumber, lentils, oatmeal, oranges, pears, and strawberries to name a few. Source of insoluble fiber include corn bran, wheat bran, nuts, raisins, root vegetable skins, seeds, and whole grains. If you are unsure if your food choice is a "whole grain," look on the Nutrition Facts Label to see if the food has > or = to 3 grams of fiber. If it does, that is a great whole grain choice!

Functions of Fiber
So, what does fiber do? Fiber helps fill you up. It slows stomach emptying, which can help with weight management. Fiber also slows absorption of carbohydrates which can help aid blood glucose management. Soluble fiber can also inhibit absorption of dietary cholesterol, which helps lower blood cholesterol like LDL (low density lipoprotein) when included as part of a heart healthy diet.

How Much Fiber Is Recommended?
Adults need about 25-35 grams of fiber per day. However, most Americans only consume about 15 grams of fiber per day. That's only 50% of the recommended amount! So, how can you get more fiber? 

• Switch to whole grain products. 
• So instead of eating white rice, flour tortilla, or flour pasta, choose brown rice, whole grain tortillas, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, or popcorn (try 94% fat free with reduced sodium). 
• Aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
• Fruits and vegetables are a good source of fiber. Try eating fruits and vegetables with the skin on to get more insoluble and total fiber. 

Please note that different medications or disease states require more or less fiber. Talk with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise regimen. If you have a family history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart attack (myocardial infarctions), please check in with your doctor to get a physical. Tell your doctor your family history of heart disease, your concerns for your health, and ask about what screening you should do.

We will go through each of the dietary and lifestyle topics this week to look more in depth on how you can be heart healthy. Stay tuned for more on physical activity or take a look back at cholesterol, dietary fats, and sodium in relation to heart health.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.