The Simplest Salad

Over Thanksgiving one of my relatives kept saying, “you eat so healthy!” and I just wanted to argue back, “No I don’t!” 

I’m allergic to gluten and soy, which means it looks like I eat super healthy. 

I can’t eat simple carbs like pastas and bread because they’re full of gluten and I can’t eat most processed foods because soybean oil is in all of them! 

I’m constantly reading package ingredients and I’ve come to learn which foods typically contain my allergens (I see you soy lecithin in delicious chocolate) and which ones don’t (usually things with 5 or fewer ingredients). 

So by default it looks like I eat super healthy…

Except, there is something I do that IS super healthy, that not many people do, but for me it’s automatic so I don’t really think about it. 

Can you guess what it is? 

I’ll give you a moment. 🙂

I eat raw leafy greens EVERY DAY and usually eat them with 2 - 3 meals per day. Yep, I often have leafy greens with breakfast!

Was that what you guessed? 

“One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you cannot change.” - unknown

I feel like crap if I don’t get enough leafy greens, which means I go out of my way to have them every day. 

Leafy greens are packed with good fiber, nutrients (aka minerals), and help with digestion. They’re so good for you and I find it super easy to eat them everyday. 

That got me thinking, what’s stopping other people from eating as many leafy greens as I do? 

➡️ Time and Taste. 

You think making a salad takes time, because you gotta chop things, and if you don’t eat your leafy greens and veggies they go all bad and mushy in the fridge. 

Raw greens taste pretty bitter and most folks I know don’t love their flavor. 

I’ll admit I’m pretty odd, you’ll see me standing over the sink shoveling a freshly rinsed handful of spinach into my mouth. No dressing, no nothing. 

Most store bought salad dressings contain soybean oil, which will have me gripping my stomach and uncomfortable for hours. (Side note, my theory on why I don’t like donuts is that all of the donuts I ate as a kid were fried in soybean oil leaving me with a terrible stomach ache, not to admit my undiagnosed gluten intolerance). 

The truth is making a salad and eating leafy greens doesn’t have to be time consuming or terrible tasting. 

Here’s what I do: 

I buy a container of mixed greens that all I have to do is rinse before I eat it AND I make the simplest salad dressing that tastes good and is nearly impossible to mess up. 

Wanna know my not-so-secret recipe? 

It’ll have you eating veggies like a pro, with little time and effort on your part. 

This time of year I’m way over doing it on portions, sugar, and alcohol, so a simple salad hack is exactly the thing to get us through. 

Here’s my not-so-secret, The Simplest Salad Recipe:

You’ll need:

• A bag or container of mixed greens (I go for organic and the most colorful leaves)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (buy the one that’s middle of the road price, it’ll taste waaaaaaaay better than the cheap stuff, my favorite: Cobram Estates)

• Balsamic Vinegar (any variety is great!)

• 21 Seasoning Salute (I get mine from Trader Joes)

• Salt 

• Pepper (freshly ground has the most flavor) 

• Optional: Apple Cider Vinegar (for more tangy zing)

Directions:

1. Rinse a handful (or 2) of your mixed greens

2. Put in your bowl

3. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top of your greens

4. Drizzle Balsamic Vinegar

5. Sprinkle 21 Seasoning Salute

6. Sprinkle Salt 

7. Sprinkle Pepper

8. Optional: drizzle a dash of apple cider vinegar

9. Stir together with your fork

10. Let sit for a few minutes (especially if you have kale in your greens mix)

You might be saying to yourself, “But Kerstin, how much of each thing do I put in? You didn’t give us any measurements.” 

Ah, yes, that’s the beauty of this recipe, it’s very forgiving AND it’s going to depend on your taste. That might sound annoying and believe me when I say that it’s better to have too much than too little. The too much will just end up in the bottom of your bowl. 

The secret is the 21 Seasoning Salute. 

I love the mixture of spices and it plays super well with the olive oil and the vinegars. If anything, add a bunch of the 21 Seasoning Salute to start. Keep playing with it till you find the balance that tastes best to you. 

This is quick and easy, it takes 5 minutes tops to make the whole thing, so if you find yourself over analyzing, use the 5 second method from Mel Robbins, count backwards from 5 and then just do it. 

This might just be the magical new habit that transforms your 2024 (or not and that’s ok too) but you won’t know until you try. 

Journaling Prompt: What’s one simple thing you can do this week to feel more balanced in your body? 

P.S. For 2024 I’m bringing simplicity into how I work with 1:1 clients. I’ll share more in the weeks ahead and if you want to be the first to experience the magic of working with me, book a free consultation.