's motd Sat May 15, 2010

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TOSS IT!

Saturday, 15 May 2010

Oh I know, it's hard to stay on a healthy eating program once the weekend rolls around. That is, it's hard if you're going out to dinner or when you run to pick up some Chinese food at that Asian restaurant you love. I've talked before about how we see Saturday nights as a night to celebrate. Hey, after a hard week at work, Saturday night is one for fun and we end up getting a little less cautious with our food program.

But there is one way you can have fun on Saturday night in your kitchen while staying on your healthy eating program at the same time. All you've gotta do is...toss it!Do you know how many salads I've eaten to lose weigh and stay at this weight all of these years? Thousands! And let me tell you, I can't wait to make my salads. It's almost like going to a concert, only I'll be conducting my own symphony right there in my kitchen, using colorful vegetables as my musical instruments!I begin my getting out my big wooden salad bowl, which I bought way back in 1978. (And yes, I still have it!) Then I go to the fridge and choose all of the vegetables I'll use to prepare my salad. I give my veggies a little bath, dry them off and then...it's time to get started with the chopping.

I begin with some romaine or iceberg lettuce. Next, I'll select some white or purple cabbage. Then, in go some chopped radishes, cucumbers, celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes. (Oh, I just love those cute little mini-tomatoes!) Sometimes I add fresh corn off the cob, water chestnuts or garbanzo beans. (It just depends on what I'm in the mood for.) If I've made fresh beets during the week, I'll chop some up and add them, too. By the time I'm finished, my salad reminds me of a a pretty box of Crayola Crayons. The colors of all my ingredients just look so bright, fresh and pretty!To liven up the flavor, next I add my spices. I'll spice things up with some fresh chopped basil and parsley. Sometimes I'll cut up green onions and chives. After that, I make my own salad dressing.

In the blender, I put some olive oil, my choice of vinegar like a wine or balsamic vinegar. I'll add some Dijon mustard and a little bit of parmesan cheese to top off the flavor. I turn the blender on and w-h-i-i-i-i-r-r, I let all of those ingredients "get to know each other." Now it's time to pour the dressing onto my salad and then...toss it!Here's the best part. Almost all of the vegetable ingredients in my salad are absolutely free of calories! But oh, think about all of the nutrients they provide for my body. How wonderful is that, huh? I feel so healthy after having one of my salads. And after emptying that big-old bowl, I don't have to feel guilty at all. The only thing you really have to be careful about are the calories the salad dressing adds. (Watch those beans, too!) But the good news is that just a little dressing goes a long way.If you have a salad for dinner, three nights a week, trust me, you're going to be so happy when you get on that scale at the beginning of the week. So take my advice everybody and...toss it!Love,