Tired of recreating the same boring salad?  Here are some tips to refresh your appetite for salads AND make it E-A-S-Y.

1.  Here is your base salad.  Drizzle with olive oil, mix and store in fridge for several days.  If you make ahead, you are more likely to eat salad more often:

• Start with some green leaf lettuce
• Add some color for a variety of nutrients (purple cabbage, carrots, shredded beets, etc.)
• Add celery & green onion or another onion of your liking

2.  This following bean/tofu mixture can be pre-made and added to any salad at any time for some heartiness:

• Marinate some garbanzo beans (or other beans) with some crumbled firm tofu in a bowl and store in fridge (marinate might include: olive oil, sea salt, pepper, cayenne, turmeric, splash of Braggs Amino’s or tamari sauce)

3.  Nuts and seeds add some quick heartiness and flavor to any salad.  Pre-make this and have on hand for a quick snack or to add to your salads:

• Take a variety of raw nuts and seeds, bake at 300 degrees for 5-7 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
• Let cool, add dried fruit (raisins, blueberries, cherries) and store in sealed container.

4.  When ready to chow down, here are the remaining steps for the yummiest, heartiest, nutritious salad ever!!

• Toss greens salad with some of the bean/tofu mix.  Add any leftover brown rice or quinoa if you’re feeling really crazy.
• Drizzle olive oil over salad and toss (or toasted sesame oil for a treat).
• Top with your nut mixture (or some basic nuts, seeds, and berries) and some hemp seed hearts (my favorite).
• Other ideas: Have some leftover grapes, cut in half and add.  Add in other items of your liking (avocado, tomato, etc.)

What are your favorite ingredients in a salad?  Let us know…