There are about three dozen great recipes in our Good Mood Diet book. One dish that didn't make it into Chapter 8 is what could be called the Feel-Great-and-Don't-Wait Salad. Of course, it's not really a recipe since I make it up as a I go along each time. It is generally my version of an entree salad that I make for lunch or dinner when I am ready for a good meal but not looking to delay the actual eating. The only ingredients that make it into every Feel-Great-and-Don't-Wait Salad would be dark green lettuce and olive oil. Everything else is a matter of what's in the fridge, pantry and on Dr. Kleiner's Feel-Great Foods list.
I make this salad frequently when I am in the middle of a writing project. It satisfies my hunger without making me fell too full or sleepy. All the requisite chewing and crunching tends to work off some of my nervous energy. It follows the Good Mood concept of combining proteins with carbs and healthy fats.
Here's how I put the salad together. Feel free to make your own varieties and don't be alarmed if you decide to eat it, say, five or more times each week. It is especially appealing as the weather gets milder and warmer, or if you sense becoming dehydrated.
- Start with a good size bowl for easy tossing and mixing. Add some olive oil, vinegar (try different kinds for fun), perhaps dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk it all around with a fork. Make enough to dress your salad.
- Next put in two to four fistfuls of salad greens – the darker the pigment the better. (Say no to iceberg!) Shred the greens loosely into bite-size pieces.
- Then check out what's in the refrigerator. Usually I am hoping for turkey in the deli drawer or some cold roasted chicken. I might also shell some cold edamame (soybeans in the pod) if it is left from movie snacks from the previous night or the kids’ lunches. (My son especially leaves some food in his lunch bag because he is "too busy talking;" probably working on a future career as a radio host). I'm happy if I find a hard-boiled egg and some black olives.
- Then I go to the pantry looking for sunflower seeds and almonds to sprinkle on. Sometimes I use pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
- Then I rummage around for dried fruit for sweetness, usually organic raisins but apricots, cherries or cranberries all work. Sometimes I go back to the fridge for fresh strawberries, which I like to slice roughly into small bits. Same with an orange or grapefruit if they are in the fruit bowl.
At this point I am ready to eat. So I toss it all together and sometimes just eat right from the big bowl. Or I might eat half for lunch, go write some more and eat the rest for my mid-afternoon snack. You will know the right combinations of these Feel-Great Foods when you taste the salad. That's part of the fun.
Bob
Bob Condor is co-author of The Good Mood Diet and managing editor of health at MSN.com