Mouthwatering (and Filling) Nufiwa Salads

I honestly don’t like salads very much.

I know that is very un-health coachy of me, but I just don’t.

I’m not saying salads are bad. I just sometimes feel unsatisfied when I only eat a salad for a meal.

Having said that, I must admit that these particular salads are delicious exceptions.

Greens piled with sweet potatoes, rice, fruit, and delicious dressing. Cabbage with almonds, mango, and edamame. Kale coupled with butternut squash, cranberries, and couscous. Yep, any of those will fill me up.

And not only that, they will fill me and my family with all the nutrition, fiber, and water we need in a meal.

I’ll eat to that!

A few nufiwa salads to try:

Balsalmic Spring Vegetable Salad from Pumpkin and Peanut Butter

Crunchy Asian Ramen Noodle Salad from Gimme Some Oven

Greek Chickpea Salad from Peas and Crayons

Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale, Cranberry, and Couscous from Gimme Some Oven

The Classic BLT

The Classic BLT, Nufiwa-Style

1 loaf of whole wheat bread, sliced (I love the Honey Whole Wheat Bread from Great Harvest Bread)
1 jar Olive Oil mayonnaise
4 (juicy) tomatoes
Crisp lettuce (I use romaine)
Several pieces bacon (always high quality, thin cut, uncured, without nitrates; Applegate Naturals is a good brand)
Serve with: sliced watermelon, tossed salad, cooked corn on the cob, steamed green beans

Slice the tomatoes and wash the lettuce. Cook the bacon (I place several pieces of raw bacon on a dinner plate in between paper towels and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes at a time until crisp).

Spread some mayonnaise on a piece of whole wheat bread, pile on a bunch of tomatoes and lettuce, and then add a few halved bacon pieces before topping with another piece of whole wheat bread. Enjoy with a tossed green salad, sliced watermelon and cooked corn on the cob.

Why This Meal is Nufiwa

First, a word about bacon. Bacon is NOT good for you! Bacon is often full of nitrates and other chemicals that are definitively linked to colorectal cancer. It is high in sodium which can increase your blood pressure. It is also high in saturated fats and cholesterol which are tied to heart disease. It is NOT good for you.

But I know that for a lot of people, it’s really fun to eat. I get it.

This meal is a great example of why nufiwa works. If you are making sure that you are filling yourself with foods that are full of fiber, water, and nutrients, your body can handle a piece of bacon or two. Eating nufiwa ensures that the bulk of what you are eating is beneficial for your body. It also provides your body with the nutrients it needs to fight off the diseases that could possibly come from a piece of bacon.

Remember the goal is to fill your plate with 75% nufiwa foods. Add a tossed green salad, watermelon, corn on the cob, steamed green beans, and any other fruits/veggies you’d like to get to your 75%. If you eat a BLT this way, your meal is definitely nufiwa (congrats!).

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

16 ounces whole wheat rotini or farfalle pasta (I love the Barilla brand)
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 can black olives, halved or 2/3 cup kalamata olives
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Lemon-herb vinaigrette (see below), or 2/3 cup Brianna’s Home Style Real French Vinaigrette Dressing

Barilla Whole Grain Rotini Pasta 16 oz. (Pack of 2)

Briannas Real French Vinaigrette 12 oz (Pack of 2)

Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano, minced
1 teaspoon honey
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cold water until cooled and place in a large mixing bowl.

While pasta is cooking, peel and dice the cucumbers. Wash and dice the tomatoes and cut the olives. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese to the bowl with the pasta. Drizzle the dressing of choice over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Serve either alone or over a bed of spinach.

To make the dressing:
Place all ingredients together and either whisk or mix with an immersion blender.

Why this meal is nufiwa

This delicious pasta salad needed one major tweak to make it truly nufiwa: replacing the regular pasta with whole wheat pasta. Adding whole wheat to the meal adds protein, fiber, and other important minerals such as magnesium and zinc. The fiber and the protein make the pasta more satiating (which means you feel fuller sooner and longer).

Whole wheat pasta is available in most grocery stores and is very affordable, so it is an easy switch in any meal and has a great impact. You can do this for any of your favorites. Just swap out the pasta! Easy!

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Beet Tzatziki Salad

This is one of those recipes you crave. Even my little brother (as in younger…little doesn’t make sense for a 6'2" rugby player) admitted that he started craving this after I made it for him (and he is not in the habit of reaching for a beet in the supermarket aisle, I should add).

I haven’t always been in the habit of reaching for a beet either. I think this is mostly to blame on the fact that my only exposure to beets for a long time was the suspicious, slimy ones in the Sizzler salad bar line. Not until I tried a fresh beet, gently steamed and seasoned with a little melted butter and lemon did I realize what I had been missing all my life.

If you are like me (and my younger brother) and are still unsure about the infamous beet, this is the recipe for you. This will be the gateway drug to a simply fabulous beet addiction. You can thank me later.

For the tzatziki:
2 large purple or yellow beets
½ cup plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the salad:
1 bag spinach or arugula
½ cup feta, crumbled
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Garlic salt, pepper
1 head fresh fennel, stem and core removed, thinly sliced (optional)
Lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for topping

Wash beets and cut off stems. Place in a shallow baking dish with enough water to come halfway up the beets. Cover tightly with foil and pierce several times to release the steam. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes until beets can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Shred the cooled beets into a bowl. Add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings (if you are a big lemon fan like me, don’t be afraid to keep adding lemon juice until the tzatziki is just the right tartness).

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add the rinsed chickpeas and cook for 2-4 minutes until chickpeas begin to pop and are warmed. Remove from heat and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

Arrange the spinach or arugula, beet tzatziki, chickpeas, feta cheese and fennel (if desired) in a bowl. Top with extra lemon juice, olive oil and salt/pepper before serving.

Adapted from: Dorm Room Kitchen.