My cats have never expressed this much interest in my salads, and sometimes it’s hard to really get excited about them. But I learned to be a little more colorful, if not creative, when it comes to presentation. Fortunately I’ve never made a salad that resembled the ones you would assemble at fast food restaurants:
Not very appetizing, it’s kind of healthy, but I won’t enjoy eating it as much as I would want to. I’ve never really liked iceberg lettuce in salads unless it was covered in blue cheese dressing, and tomatoes are not meant to be crunchy!
Shopping for salad ingredients was always kind of a chore and I could never get excited about it. Thankfully there are so many great raw food/vegetarian/vegan blogs that can give you some great ideas to make your veggies more enticing. Instead of thinking only green when shopping for your salad ingredients, how about shopping for other colors, instead? Visit the produce department and just look at all the fabulous colors the veggie world has to offer, like golden beets, purple carrots, and fancy heirloom tomatoes from pink to purple! Buy in small amounts to last you a few days so you won’t feel obligated to eat veggies just because you bought them on sale. Try a new item like flowering kale or even those hairy looking sprouts. Also think of texture, and of course, flavor! All those things will come together in one deliciously satisfying bite…that’s how a salad should be!
I like to keep a good variety of fruits and veggies, and am starting to sprout my own grains, too. Here’s what I made for lunch:
And here’s what’s in it: lettuce, grated carrots, chopped celery, chopped cucumber, purple cauliflower pieces, shredded zucchini, chopped apples, diced dried apricots, strawberries, sprouted quinoa, and a sunflower seed sprout (just ’cause it’s good!) It’s a lot more fun when you have so many colorful ingredients…it’s like making art, so why not enjoy making your food as well as eating it?
Speaking of art, if you’re planning a dinner party and want to impress your guests, check out these creative ways to display your fruits and veggies posted by Design Indulgences. Below is my favorite, veggies and dip in one!
And check out this wonderful salad presentation idea using cucumbers as the bowl! I hope these ideas will help you get a little more creative with your healthy eating, and come back and share some ideas with me, I’d love to hear what you’ve created!
May 4, 2012 at 18:14
Great ideas! The pictures are so pretty (except the one that’s not supposed to be pretty!). A great salad is one of my favorite meals, and I love when salads have lots of different colors. The right dressing is key too.
May 4, 2012 at 19:21
I hope you post one of your salad ideas, soon! :)
May 4, 2012 at 20:52
That salad is gorgeous! So colourful! I wish my salads looked that pretty!
May 4, 2012 at 20:56
Aw, thanks! The purple and orangey-yellows really stand out. :)
May 6, 2012 at 01:31
Beautiful salad!
May 6, 2012 at 04:54
Thank you! It’s much more enjoyable to eat when it’s visually appealing!
May 6, 2012 at 13:19
I think if my veggies were in pretty vases I’d be tempted to eat more. Thank you for the excuse to shop for pretty vases. :)
May 6, 2012 at 16:05
Haha, you’re welcome, and I bet you’ll fine some nice ones at the dollar stores, too. :)