Creativity in a Salad

Thanks Trish, Tawny and Michelle for letting me guest blog today. My name is Nancy E. Gibson, and I’ve been a member of Romance Writers of America for ten years. Two years ago, I decided to dedicate myself to living a healthy lifestyle. Losing 47 pounds and adopting other healthy habits like regular exercise has impacted my writing in many ways. Leading the list is the fact that I’ve experienced a significant increase in energy and more focused concentration. My renewed energy and concentration increases my ability to set and meet writing goals quickly which in turn boosts my confidence. It’s a win-win cycle.

My weight loss/healthy lifestyle program is Intervent, a holistic program available in many hospitals across the U.S. One-on-one meetings with my coach/mentor cover a wide range of topics including nutrition, exercise, goal setting, emotions, and stress.

In my healthy eating plan it’s recommended I eat three servings of fruit a day. When my coach, Debby, looked at my food tracker she noticed that most days I was eating one or two servings of fruit, rarely three. I made a quick fix by adding half a cup of orange juice to my daily plan. On my next visit, Debby reminded me that although orange juice works in a pinch, I wasn’t getting the same nutritional fiber I would by eating a whole piece of fruit. Part of the problem was boredom; I was tired of grab-and-go, oranges, apples and bananas, all day every day. I knew I had to get creative. Hey, we’re all writers here and we’re all creative, right? :)

I solved my not-enough-fruit dilemma when I saw the following recipe for Summer Fresh Spinach Salad, a green salad which includes fruit. Now I’m hooked on all the ways fruit and greens can be combined to make delicious salads. Here are two quick, easy recipes to try. Recipes are from Kraft Kitchens.

Summer Fresh Spinach Salad

2 9-ounce packages of baby spinach
6 small ripe peaches (sliced thin)
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 cup pecans, whole or sliced (toast in microwave until fragrant and crisp, stir every 30 seconds)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 8-ounce bottle light raspberry vinaigrette dressing

To keep fresh peaches from browning, toss in a separate bowl with 3 tablespoons of dressing, then add to the salad. Combine all ingredients. Add remainder of dressing just before serving and toss. This recipe is best with fresh peaches but frozen or canned in their own juice works too.

Citrus Salad

4 cups packed torn mixed salad greens
4 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1 large navel orange or 1 (11-ounce) can of mandarin oranges
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup thin red onion rings
3 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/3 cup light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Add dressing just before serving; toss to coat.

Play with combining or substituting the ingredients in each recipe. Losing weight doesn’t have to be boring. Be creative, have fun, eat and enjoy. Do you have a creative way to get more fruit or veggies into your day? Do you have a recipe to share?

While working toward her final weight loss goal with great determination, Nancy E. Gibson also writes historical paranormal romances about love, danger, and intrigue in the court of King James IV. She is equally determined to see her books in bookstores some day soon.