Looking and feeling fabulous should always be a year-round goal. However, during warm summer months (when bathing suits and shorts are par for the course), it makes staying in shape and looking fit especially important. Unfortunately, most diet-friendly foods (that help you lose weight) aren’t enjoyable to eat. That’s where using the right ingredients when cooking can make a major difference between blah-meals and super-tasty superfoods.
Healthy Summer Salad Recipe
To help you easily lose weight this season, this healthy summer salad recipe is full of vitamin-rich nutrients (that give your body the fuel it needs to burn fat), serves up a hearty dose of lean protein (to help you build muscles and get toned), is easy to cook, and tastes good too.
Chock full of organic superfood vegetables, grilled chicken, and fiber-rich leafy greens, this healthy summer salad is a cinch to whip up and helps whittle your waistline while you nosh away. Aside from the carrots (which are rich in Vitamin-A, making your skin look radiant), this is a low-carb, low-calorie meal that fills you up.
Healthy Summer Salad Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Seasoning (Herbs & Spices)
2 Heads Romaine Lettuce
1 Zucchini Squash
Bag of Carrots
4 Fresh Roma Tomatoes
6 Cloves Fresh Garlic
1 Red Onion
1 Package Pre-Grilled & Seasoned Chicken
Low-calorie Salad Dressing
Healthy Summer Salad Instructions:
1. To help you prepare your ingredients, start by chopping or mincing the fresh vegetables listed above.
2. After peeling and chopping the carrots, to soften them (prior to sautéing), put them in a steamer for about 15 minutes (or until a knife easily cuts through them). Add a dash of seasoning (like Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute) to impart flavor and a hint of heat (to help rev your metabolism).
3. When the carrots are finished steaming, add them to the mix of other vegetables in a sauté pan. Pour about 3 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil into the veggie mixture. Stir thoroughly every few minutes. Let the vegetables cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Using a clean knife (or poultry shears) chop pre-grilled, herb-seasoned chicken into bite-size pieces. Depending on your preference, you can serve the chicken (on top of the salad) cold or warm (if you heat it up in a skillet).
5. After chopping up the lettuce and serving on a plate, add the sautéed veggies and chicken on top. Drizzle with a light, low-calorie salad dressing, and enjoy!
A few more helpful tips for diet-friendly foods that help you easily lose weight:
When possible, choose organic vegetables (as they don’t contain pesticides and are easier for your body to digest). And opt for free-range chicken as well.
While Whole Foods Market is a leader when it comes to top quality organic ingredients, some consumers find the steep prices a bit daunting. As an alternative, Trader Joe’s is an affordable, reliable market for healthy, organic foods at reasonable prices. Plus, there’s always local farmer’s markets as another route for picking up fresh ingredients.
Cooking healthy meals is one of the most important steps you can take in becoming healthy, in shape, and lean. And if “you are what you eat”, choose your foods wisely. Cheers to a fit and fabulous summer!
