5 Steps to a Successful Salad Part 1: Choose your base

You know I'm all about that base....

 Have you ever made a Kale salad with the best of intentions, then about 3 bites in ditched it because your jaw was already exhausted? Or, have you ever piled on every vegetable within reach, loaded it with ranch, then felt the most ravenous hunger of your entire life 20 minutes later?
These are very common pitfalls when it comes to salad.

It's just not that simple
You would think that a salad is the simplest invention of clean eating. But actually, it's a little more complicated than just throwing random ingredients together and hoping for the best.
 That is why I am dedicating 5 whole days to explain how to make a successful salad. A salad that will keep you full until dinner time, provide energy and brain power, and that is delicious down to the last leaf of spinach.

I want to teach you how to compose a beautiful, melodious work of art that will cause your taste buds to sing with an unsurpassable joy. 
Alright. That may be a little on the dramatic side, but there is a way to effectively design a salad to make it enjoyable. Kiss your bleak ice-burg lettuce and stale carrots goodbye. Say "so-long" to chemical laden pre-made salad dressings that leave a weird after taste in your mouth, and say hello to sweet, savory, filling, and absolutely gorgeous bowls of goodness and health. Shall we get started?

Step 1: Choose your Base
There are a lot of options when it comes to good salad greens. First, you want to decide what kind of salad you are going to make. In the spring/summer, go ahead and use raw vegetables. In the winter and fall, you can roast vegetables and sauté greens for a warming meal. Kale, chard, Beet and Mustard greens are all "sturdier" greens that hold up well for sautéed and warm salads. Spinach, baby greens, lettuce and watercress are good options for a raw salad.

Why eat Greens? 
Leafy green vegetables are full of many minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals. They also contain fiber, and a high volume of water. Both of these components aid in weight loss and maintenance because they keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. Not to mention that a high fiber diet may reduce your risk for colon cancer and many other diseases. For time (and attention span's sake) I am not going to go into all of the reasons you should eat more greens (there are just so many!), but here is a very informative article that I highly suggest reading.

Greens Galore
Here is a little table o'greens describing the taste, texture, best ways to prepare, and the peak season of some of my favorites! You can download/print this handy-dandy table here.

Name:              Taste/Texture:                   Prep:                                                 Season:

Spinach           Mild, tender, sweet              Raw, wilted                                        Year round
 Kale                 Earthy, sturdy, bitter           Massaged, steamed, sautéed  Late     Summer-Winter
 Escarole          Mild, crisp, sweet                Raw, sautéed, grilled                          Winter-Spring
 Swiss Chard    Earthy, sturdy, bitter           Massaged, steamed, sautéed              Late Summer-Spring
 Mustard Greens Spicy, sturdy, bitter         Sautéed, wilted                                   Spring-Summer
 Beet Greens    Mild, sturdy, peppery          Sautéed, wilted, raw                           Late summer-Winter
 Watercress     Spicy, light, peppery            Raw                                                    Spring
 Bok Choy         Spicy, sturdy, bitter            Raw, sautéed, wilted                          Winter
 Collard Greens Spicy, sturdy, smoky         Sautéed, steamed                               Winter-Spring                   
 Boston Lettuce Mild, light, sweet               Raw                                                  Spring
 Romaine Lettuce Mild, light, sweet            Raw, grilled                                     Spring-Summer

Ch-ch-ch-chew!
Another huge salad fail is not chewing properly. When you chew, your saliva activates enzymes to break down the glucose in vegetables. This makes the nutrients more available to your cells, and also saves your stomach a load of work. Aim for 20-25 chews per bite. You will also notice that by taking your time to chew, you will feel fuller faster. This can also help aid in weight loss, cut down on cravings, and reduce bloating and gas later on.

Step 1: Complete!
Now that you have decided on your base, taken into consideration the kind of salad you want to make, and understand why chewing is so gosh-dang important, the next step is casting the co-stars of your salad production!

Check back tomorrow for step 2, and happy chewing! 

-Amara