Fast(ing) Food - I'm Sorry, Body Salad

Day 94, Fast Day #40

A successful fast day! I am getting back on track this week, I swear.

My body has gone through a lot of self-inflicted abuse over the last two weeks. So I decided to say I'm sorry to my organs by eating a nutritious salad. Eating a salad while dieting is obviously not some genius, original idea of mine. It is common sense if you are looking to consume a variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients without a lot of calories. However, not every salad is low-calorie or nutritious. If you are trying to eat healthy by ordering a salad at a restaurant, you can end up with a plate containing over 1000 calories, a lot of sodium, or a bunch of saturated fat like in these 20 salads worse than a Whopper. This past week I ate a salad at a restaurant that ended up being over 700 calories when I looked up the nutrition facts later.

This salad I threw together is not worthy of an unhealthy salad list:

Those are flax seeds, not ants. In case you got nervous about eating insects.

I'm Sorry, Body Salad (Yields 1 large serving) ~133 kcal/serving

Takes 5-10 minutes

Feel better with 240% of the vitamin A, 128% of the vitamin C, 19% of the calcium, and 13% of the iron that is recommended daily in one big bowl. Plus some omega-3s, potassium, and fiber.

• 1/4 of a small onion, sliced (I used a yellow onion) ~7 kcal
• 3 big leaves of lettuce, chopped (I used romaine) ~14 kcal
• 1/2 medium apple, sliced (I used a Braeburn apple) ~36 kcal
• 1 small carrot, sliced (I used a purple one) ~20 kcal
• 1/2 large bell pepper (I used a green one) ~12 kcal
• 5 grape tomatoes ~10 kcal
• 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped ~3 kcal
• 1 tsp flax seeds ~17 kcal
• 1 tsp unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds ~14 kcal

Chop up all your fruit and veggies, mix in a bowl, sprinkle on seeds. You can add a dressing of your choice to toss in with the salad.

Why did I use a purple carrot? Purple carrots and other darker, smaller variants of fruits and vegetables that are more like their wild relatives, are more nutritious than common agricultural crops. Check out this lovely chart from the New York Times about nutrition in wild versus supermarket produce.

I like to make my own salad dressing when I have the time to whip one up. Here is the honey mustard vinaigrette I threw together for this salad:

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing (optional) ~264 kcal/serving

• 2 tbsp olive oil ~250 kcal
• 1 tbsp vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• 1/2 tsp honey ~10 kcal
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning (or mix of marjoram, thyme, oregano, and basil)
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard powder ~3 kcal
• pepper, to taste ~1 kcal
• kosher salt to taste

Salad dressing is a very personal thing. I recommend experimenting with varying amounts and types of honey, vinegar, mustard, and spices depending on your tastes. Plus experimenting is fun.

Sure, salad does not require much by way of culinary skill and is quick. Sorry if this recipe didn't blow your mind. This is real food I prepare and eat on fast days. I need to spend less time cooking and more time wedding planning, so I see more salads in my future.