The garden salad…it’s the easiest staple of our nutritional lifestyle.  We always have a salad in the fridge! It’s a great snack or quick addition to any meal.

I have always loved salads! But I didn’t know how to make one and keep it fresh. I often wasted the leftovers. I hate to waste food; it’s like throwing away money! How do I prevent the dreaded soggy salad? You definitely need to use a salad container to extend the life of your veggies.  Salad containers help regulate the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide. This creates an environment that promotes a longer life for your vegetables.  Some brands suggest their containers keep produce fresh for 80% longer.

I have tried several salad containers. The one I use most often isn’t real fancy. It’s the Rubbermaid 14 cup Produce Saver. I like it because it’s large and can hold enough garden salad for the entire week. For lunches, I like the Oxo on the go salad container because it has 2 compartments, one for wet ingredients and one for dry ingredients. It also includes a dressing container. But it’s a little pricey. The best on the go for your value is Stay-Fit Delux salad kit. Or just use what you have at home :).

The best tip I have for decreasing salad waste is, eat your greens daily so they don’t have an opportunity to go bad! I know, this seems like a no brainer. But for years I made salads with good intentions of actually eating them…my compost pile was the place good intentions went to die.

I just had to shift my mind set a little. I stopped thinking of salads as a diet food and started thinking of them as a nutritious food, like a powerful vitamin. The veggies in this simple garden salad are packed with vitamin A, C and B-6 along with Iron, Magnesium, potassium, calcium and fiber. Eating your greens before your main course can actually decrease the amount you eat and aids in weight loss.

I’m often asked, ‘where do you buy your vegetables?’ I love to grow my own vegetables! And sometimes I’m even successful!! If it’s farmers market season I enjoy seeing the beautiful harvest of my neighbors, I admire people who have a green thumb. But for convenience sake, I generally grab all the organic veggies I can find at my local Aldi and throw them in a salad container.

You do not have to use organic veggies! Conventionally grown vegetables are definitely better than none! Organic just ensures your exposure to synthetic chemicals is limited.

What you need:

1 container of organic spinach

1 container of organic spring mix

1 bell pepper ( I like to use yellow, for the color variance)

1 Tomato, any variety you like

fresh peas

1 cucumber

1-2 carrots ( I prefer them shredded, you can just simply chop them however you like)

radishes

1 small red onion

Toss it all together for a refreshing salad any time you like. Pair this simple garden salad with a homemade avocado ranch dressing or tangy citrus dressing