In the scorching heat, summer salads are a fantastic way to enjoy a light, refreshing, and nutrient-dense meal. By incorporating a variety of vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats, you can create delicious salads that are as satisfying as they are healthy. The high water content owing to veggies keeps the salad light on the stomach, making it an ideal meal for the season.
To think of salad as unimportant or less valuable is to miss its true value, says Amritanshu Agrawal, founder of Hops N Grains & The Great Bear. “A good salad is a wonderful thing. It can be a delightful side dish or a healthy meal to perk you up during a busy day. A salad can even be a good choice for dinner, especially when paired thoughtfully with French fries. There is a special satisfaction in a well-made salad because everything in it is visible and essential. Each ingredient, like the leaves, must be fresh and carefully prepared,” he says.
Salads can be packed with a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and proteins, providing essential vitamins and minerals. Many salad ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes, and leafy greens have high water content, helping you stay hydrated in the summer heat. Salads are typically lower in calories while being high in volume, making them filling without being heavy. Adding ingredients like chicken, tofu, beans, or nuts ensures that the salad is rich in protein, essential for muscle repair and overall health. Vegetables, fruits, and legumes are high in fibre, which aids digestion and keeps you full longer.
Speaking about the latest range of salads introduced at his outlets this season, Amirtanshu informs, “Summers are here, and the Hops N Grains special ‘Health Freak Quinoa Salad’ is one of our bestsellers to beat the heat. Packed with a richness of nutrients and the seasonal special salad is loaded with super foods like olives, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and broccoli. The goodness of tomatoes and assorted greens makes this salad a satiating meal in itself. When topped with an apple cider dressing – all great oxidants to help you cool off during summers.”
Adding to the list, he says, “The Crispy Lotus Stem & Chickpea salad is another best seller salad. It is truly a bowl packed with all the superfoods. This one does not feel like a basic boring salad as it has different flavours and textures and the right crunch any salad needs. It’s filling and satisfying and is a complete meal in itself. The flavours are well balanced between sweet, salty, spicy and sour and it pairs excellently with our in-house made beer and cocktails.”
DIY steps to make healthy and protein-rich salads:
Use a mix of leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula, romaine) for a nutrient-packed base. Include a variety of colourful vegetables (bell peppers, carrots, radishes, tomatoes) for different vitamins and minerals. For animal protein, add grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, hard-boiled eggs, or lean turkey. And, for vegetarians, use plant proteins like tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, black beans, quinoa, lentils, or edamame.
Top it with dairy proteins like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or cheese (feta, mozzarella, goat cheese). Finish the salad and add a crunch with avocados, nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds (chia, flax, pumpkin), and olive oil add healthy fats that are good for the heart and help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Add cooked quinoa, farro, barley, or brown rice to increase the fibre and protein content, making the salad more filling. Use fresh herbs like basil, mint, cilantro, citrus zest (lemon, lime, orange), and spices (cumin, paprika, chili flakes) to enhance flavors without adding extra calories.
Add your own dressings using healthy ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, Greek yogurt, or tahini. Avoid store-bought dressings that can be high in sugars and unhealthy fats.
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