P & C Fitness NJ

I have been obsessed with eating salads since the start of the summer. To be honest, I was never the biggest salad person. I always found them rather bland and boring, but recently I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone with what ingredients I’ve added to them. For dinner this week, I made my own version of a Mexican food-themed salad and I liked it so much that I decided to share the recipe and macro breakdown. Both of them can be found at the bottom of the page.

When I make salads for dinner, I like to focus on a few specific ways to make them. I always make sure to load up my bowl with as many greens as possible. My usual salad base of choice is baby romaine, spring mix is really not my thing but in a pinch I’ll use that. Once I have my bowl loaded with greens, I start to add a variety of other vegetables. Typically what we have on hand is tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, raw green beans, and peppers.

When I have added an ample amount of veggies, I start to think about what protein sources I can add. I’ve done any kind of protein source from hard boiled egg, ground turkey, cold-cut turkey, chicken, steak. When I’m thinking about what protein source I’m going to add, I try to think about my salad theme for the night. I’ve done a chicken, balsamic salad with shredded mozzarella and roasted peppers to a taco salad with ground turkey, beans, and avocado.

Once I have my main protein source sorted out. I begin to add some form of carbohydrates and fats. My typical choices are usually sweet potatoes, beans, avocado, quinoa, rice and occasionally shredded cheese. I normally rotate the variety and combination so I never end up getting bored with my meals and still look forward to my dinner every night.

I don’t usually any dressings as those tend to pack on tons of added sugars, calories, and fats. I normally use a red wine vinegar or a balsamic vinegar. I will add in olive oil, only if I don’t have any other fat sources to add to my salad. My favorite balsamic vinegar right now is Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. I use no more than a tablespoon or two of it. I really enjoy this particular version because its so bitter tasting.

I’ve been especially obsessed with salads this summer because of the heat we’ve been experiencing. Eating a large satisfying salad for dinner doesn’t leave me feeling sluggish in the humid weather. I also love that you can virtually make whatever you’re craving into salad form (within reason of course). So let’s get to this bonus recipe I mentioned back in the beginning.

I had a serious craving for some Mexican style food the other night. Instead of giving into the craving, I decided to look in my cabinets and fridge to see what I could make into a salad form. I based my portion sizes off of what my remaining macro needs were for the day. The portion sizes I’m going to share with you can be easily adjusted to fit your own dietary needs. There also some great additions that would have went nicely in this salad such as: salsa, shredded cheese, and possibly a part-skim sour cream.