Fit Villains: Selfish, Shameless, Sassy, Fitness.

Simple Salads: Leftover Love

Greens, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Feta, Chicken & Egg

I usually get grossed out by having chicken & eggs in the same meal (something about an entire lifecycle on one plate. I know. It’s weird). But this was delicious…

Nothing fancy. Greens, tomatoes, scraps of leftover chicken & a hardboiled egg. Olive oil & balsamic vinegar, and voila: lunch.

Simple Salad For Girls On The Go…

My lunch today! Mixed beans, tomatoes, red onion & greens, with a little feta on top. Mega simple. Mega delicious.

Prep time: 4 minutes. Total cost: about $3.23.

Bam.

Roughly; 250-300 calories, 15g of protein.

Favorite salad combos?

My base is almost always spinach, romaine or kale, and most of the time there’s a protein too (chickpeas, chicken, bacon, turkey etc). My “extras” are where I have fun. I REALLYlike pear, brie & walnut these days.

‘No Cook’ Sprouted Summer Salad

I know it’s fall, but who doesn’t like a summer salad?

Get the Sprouted Summer Salad Recipe

The MOST simple of salads ever. Seriously.

Ingredients

- 2 cups spinach (or other leafy greens)
- 6 oz protein (chicken, turkey, tofu, beef - anything)
- 1/2 a large cucumber
- 1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 Tbsp seeds, cheese OR chopped nuts (I like sunflower seeds, feta or cashews myself).

Dressing: I like balsamic vinegar, lemon/lime/orange juice, or the juice from chopping my tomatoes mixed with olive oil and a few spices.

Veggies: check.
Protein: check
Healthy fats: check
Absence of processed foods: check

Simple. Easy. Delicious.

Tip: when taking salads on the go, prep and pack each part separately to prevent sogginess. Assemble it when you’re ready to eat. :)

Protein Punch! Watermelon Grilled Chicken Salad

Simple. Easy. Salad Remix. 

Think outside the box for your salads! You never know what tasty combos you can come up with! This is a sweet salad, perfect for summer, that will also give you a well deserved protein punch. LOVE it! 

Toss 

• 4 cups arugula
• 1 cup diced watermelon
• 1 ounce crumbled low-fat feta
• 3 ounces skinless roasted chicken. 

Whisk together

• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tea­spoon each Dijon mustard and honey. 

Drizzle over salad. Top with chopped fresh basil.

Nutrition facts: 384 calories, 36g protein, 22g carbohydrate, 18g fat (6g saturated), 2g fiber

Via Fitness Magazine

Did you know Kale likes a little lovin’ too? Massaging your kale can help sweeten this sometimes bitter green, making it a little easier to stick into your salads.

Massaging kale is easy to do. Take bunches of kale in both hands — with the fibrous ribs removed — rub them together and repeat. You’ll notice a visible change as you do this; the leaves will darken, shrink in size and become silky in texture.

The LA Times explains why this happens — kale’s tough cellulose structure breaks down — wilts, actually. If you want to know when your massaging hands have done their trick, take a bite. If it’s still bitter, it could use a little more. Another tenderizing option is to add olive oil and salt while massaging — you’ll have taken care of preparing and dressing the salad all at once.

If rubbing your greens is not something you can get into, kale also calms its wintery ways if tossed in olive oil and left to sit overnight. With these techniques, you just might find yourself eating this leafy green all summer long.

Via Kitchen Daily

Recipe: Massaged Kale Salad

• About 1-2 cups washed and chopped kale
• ¼ avocado, mashed
• 1 tablespoon of lemon jucie
• tomato, chopped
• carrot, grated
• cucumber
• Nutritional Yeast
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Using your hands, massage the kale with mashed avocado so that the kale becomes coated in avocado. Sprinkle on the lemon juice and add the normal veggies you would put in your salad (I recommend cucumbers, tomato, & carrots). Sprinkle on nutritional yeast and enjoy!

Recipe via Eating Bird Food

Summer Salad with Strawberries

Ingredients

1. fresh strawberries
2. mixed salad greens
3. pecans or cashews
4. crumbled goat cheese

Dressing Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2. 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3. 1 tsp maple syrup
4. pinch of poppy seeds

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and chop a bowlful of salad greens.
2. Top with strawberries, nuts, and cheese. Amounts are up to you, this salad is very versatile!
3. Mix together the oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and a pinch of poppy seeds. Drizzle over salad.

Via Naturally Knocked Up

Colorful Spring Salad (via Naturally Knocked Up)

Ingredients

- 1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin
- 2 cups shredded carrots (about 3-4)
- 1 apple sliced thin (green or slightly sour for premium taste)
- 2-3 stalks of celery, sliced thin
- 5 Tbsp mixed nuts and seeds (pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

Dressing:

- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (juice from 1/2 lemon)
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
* optional 1-2 tsp grated ginger

Method of Preparation

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately or keep in fridge for up to two days (may keep longer if you store the dressing in a separate container). This salad is also tasty on top of a bed of greens.

Read Donielle’s tips on how to build a better salad: http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/build-a-better-salad/

Avocado Mango Salad with Nutmeg(an original recipe by Allison Sklar)

Photo: Tahini Salad

Warm Bacon Spinach Salad with Feta & Poppy Seed dressing! This was my dinner last night, and it was AMAZING. It’s packed with protein & a crunchy, delicious take on a cold salad fav!

Nutritional Info: 291 calories, with a whopping 17.4 grams of protein and only about 9g of carbs. Makes a great lunch, or post workout meal.:)

Warm Bacon Spinach Salad with Feta & Poppy Seed dressing

• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 4-5 white mushrooms sliced thinly
• 1/4 medium red onion sliced thin.
• 1 medium tomato (or 5-10 cherry tomatoes) sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 2 slices turkey bacon, cooked & chopped.
• 2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
• Poppyseed dressing (or balsamic vinegar)

Directions

Cook bacon and set aside. If baking, place in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once (or until crispy). Place on paper towel to absorb extra oils.

Heat a pan over medium heat, then add onions with a drizzle of olive oil. Wait 3-4 minutes, tossing once, then add mushrooms with another few drops of olive oil. Toss together until coated, and cook until the onions become slightly transparent and the mushrooms lightly browned. Lower heat.

Separately, slice and chop tomatoes, cucumber and spinach. Add 2 cups of spinach to mushrooms and onions over low heat. Toss for 30-60 seconds then remove from heat. Chop remaining cup of spinach to add over top.

Place warm spinach salad in serving bowl. Add one cup of fresh spinach, the tomatoes and cucumbers. Top with crumbled feta, chopped bacon & 1-2 tbsp of dressing.

Quick Poppy Seed Dressing (you can choose your own, or use balsamic vinegar if you choose). This is enough dressing for 2 salads (and I omitted the extra olive oil on mine): use it sparingly! A little goes a long way.

• 1 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

This salad was yummy (to say the least), but also really simple to make. Stick to lean, low sodium cuts for the turkey bacon and don’t overcook the spinach (just drop it in to warm it and remove from heat when it turns a brighter shade of green). This salad is full of flavor, so go easy on the dressing!

Feel free to add other ingredients for a different feel: avocado, sunflower seeds, almonds, shredded carrot, watercress, arugula, and clementines can give this salad a boost (orange zest is a great dressing alternative). Play around and find your perfect salad!