You can prepare light summer salads at any time of the day, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are easy and quick to prepare, and at the same time they can be very nutritious and healthy.
What exactly is a salad?
Salad is a type of food that is mostly consumed as a side dish with a main course or on its own.
The word salad comes from the Latin words Herba salad because the ancient Romans seasoned herbs and various herbs with salt. It was not until the end of the 19th century that the real era of different types of salads with various additives and ingredients began. Thus the salad went through its historical development evolving from its original form to a balanced, proper and light meal.
Ideal summer meal
In summer, salads are an ideal meal. We want to keep meal preparation to a minimum due to the great heat, and the fruit and vegetable season is at its peak. A variety of summer salads with the addition of meat, fish, cheese and cereals are an ideal choice for everyone. With such a meal, we take in all the necessary nutrients. We are not burdening the digestion because the food is easily digestible. Great start to the day.
It is always advisable to buy vegetables and fruits from organic farming, especially when it comes to a meal that is eaten raw, without prior heat treatment. In the summer, the markets are really full, the selection is large. You will easily find a seller you can trust. You can replace any of the three main meals (breakfast, lunch or dinner) with light summer salads. Just be careful what kind of salad you prepare. Hard-to-digest dishes are never recommended for dinner, and depending on your choice of ingredients, a salad could be hard to “sit”. On the other hand, a salad for breakfast can be great and healthy at the beginning of the day and provide you with enough energy. It should therefore be emphasized that there is a common belief that sandwiches make you fat and salads do not.
A plain fresh vegetable salad spiced with olive oil and lemon juice or a low-calorie sauce has, of course, fewer kilocalories than a sandwich. But if he chooses a salad that will contain high-calorie foods such as mayonnaise, butter or various cheeses, then it is completely clear which side is the advantage.
Base, additives and spices
In order for salads to be delicious and serve as a stand-alone meal, you need to know the principles of combinations of certain foods.
Of course, everyone loves certain combinations that they add to salad bases. Bases for salads can be green leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, arugula), various beans (beans, chickpeas, beans), pasta, rice, couscous to which are added sources of protein (poultry – chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, eggs, tofu, sprouts) and flavor enhancers such as herbs (garlic, parsley, basil, thyme) and various nuts and seeds.
Examples of such simple and quick summer salads are Caprese and quick salad with tuna and chickpeas. For the Caprese base, they consist of tomatoes to which fresh mozzarella sliced into slices is added, and the spices are fresh basil leaves, olive oil, salt and pepper. In another example, chickpeas (canned) are the base, and onions are chopped into it, canned tuna fillets are added and everything is seasoned with a little parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Take a walk through the market and choose the ingredients that attract you – maybe the so-called specific appetite for some vegetables, fruits and groceries will help you choose, and that is the signal that our body is telling us that it is missing something. After that, let your imagination run wild in the kitchen and make your own summer combination of healthy flavors.