Last year I desperately wanted to lose weight. I worked really hard, and actually managed to get down to a comfortable size 10 for the first time in my life. It was wonderful.
As one of my attempts to lose weight, Ryan and I started the tradition of Salad Season. This was partly to help me lose weight, but it also helped with prep time needed for dinners, and I didn't have to come up with new ideas for food every night, and it's easy to make, cold to eat, easy to clean up... there are all sorts of benefits!
Here's how it works: Put a big bowl of lettuce on the table. Then, in smaller containers, add other things that you can add to your salad. Our typical staples are: salsa, corn, olives, red onions, croutons, chicken, and parmesan cheese. With this, at times we will do cottage cheese, boiled eggs, various vegetables, pasta, chow mein noodles, mandarin oranges or other fruit, and, of course, salad dressings.
Here's the beauty of it:
1. It's easy! You start with a few extra dishes and, as you get new ideas, you simply add things to your table throughout the summer! Each night, put away the various bowls with their little lids (You can buy some cheap ones at the grocery or dollar store, even!) and the next night, if you want to add a different flavor, you only have to prepare one or two new things. The extras almost always run out at different times, and so instead of preparing an entire meal, you chop something, or pour something from a can into a bowl, or boil some chicken... it's so easy, even guys who can't cook can get the entire meal ready in about 10 minutes.
2. There's great variety! Each night, you get different flavors. You can have an asian salad, or a taco salad, or an italian salad... the sky's the limit! You can cater each salad to your own tastes, and when a guy is hungry for something substantial, he can add lots of chicken and pasta and corn, while others who may not be so hungry can go lighter with lots of lettuce and onions such.
3. It's low in calories! One of my favorite salad dressings is actually salsa, which is very very low in calories and has tons of flavor. Add in a little bit of corn, some onions, and a sprinkle of cheese... it's amazing how full you can get with so few calories!
4. Almost any side dish will go with it! We've done rice, bread, meats, whatever. It's another great way to add variety, but not necessarily much prep time.
5. Cleanup is easy too! Slap lids on the bowls and put it all back in the fridge. They're all in small bowls and will be used the next night, so there's no need to consolidate foods or find extra room in the fridge. Clear off the table and dishes are almost done already!
It's fun, as you move through the summer, to experiment with various flavors and salad dressings and such. Last summer we chopped up a bunch of vegetables, added some oil and seasonings, and actually used that as a dressing. Great stuff, and totally guilt free! We officially started salad season last week, but couldn't use the kitchen due to my dresser project. Hence, we started actually eating salads yesterday. It was wonderful. And so, my friends, welcome to Salad Season.
