TOMATO, CUCUMBER & FETA SALAD WITH A TWIST - VEGETARIAN

Salads are great if you are trying to lose weight. This is a extended take on a Greek Salad but with a much less complicated dressing. Its super easy to make and can be customized however you like however this salad allows you to get a vast amount of healthy minerals and nutrients you body needs to be provided while dieting.  Enjoy!!

Yields 2 Salad Servings

INGREDIENTS:

Salad
2 Vine Ripe Tomato (chopped) - anti inflammatory properties
1/2 An English Cucumber (chopped) - hydrate
1/2 a Cup of Feta (Chopped) - optional - calcium
1/4 Cup of Red Onion (Chopped Finely) - calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese and vitamins C
Hand full of Fresh Basil (chopped roughly) - High in vitamin K - essential to building strong bones and preventing heart disease
1/2 an Avocado (chopped) - good fats and oils
1/4-1/2 a Cup of berries (I used blackberries and blue berries) - antioxidants
1-2 TBSP of Hemp hearts - protein, fatty acids, iron and vitamin E
1 TBSP of Pine Nuts (Garnish) - protein and oils

Dressing
2-3 TBSP of Olive Oil
1-2 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper (as desired)

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients for the salad in a bowl, mix dressing ingredients in a cup and drizzle on top of your salad. Serve.

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

FRUIT SALAD

I like making fruit salad and keeping it in the fridge. Sometimes its hard to eat all the fruit you buy and this is a great way to get you reaching for them as a snack instead of chips or chocolate. I also find that if you take the prep out of it and all the fruit is already washed and cut kids/tennagers will eat more for it too. I also like to use it as topping on some granola and yogurt in the morning or even on pancakes as a substitute for syrup. It may seem like a pretty easy idea but some people add orange juice and liqueur but I dont think that's needed.

INGREDIENTS:

Berries - mix of any kind you like (I used blueberry, blackberry and raspberry)*
1 Can of Peaches slices in light syrup (796 ml) (Chopped Small but keep syrup)
1 Apple (Chopped Small)
1/4 Cantaloupe (Chopped Small)

*You can add any fruit you like, I would of added strawberries and pears as well but the ones at the stores weren't very good


DIRECTIONS

Open canned peaches and pour out the syrup into a large bowl - this will be your base.

Cut the peaches that remain in the can into smaller pieces.

Wash the berries and add them to the cut up peaches and syrup.

Cut up cantaloupe into small pieces as well as apple. Add it to the bowl - mix and serve.

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!