The wonderful joys of summertime fun: swimming, hiking, biking, baseball, soccer, gardening, and the list goes on and on and on. Who wants to spend lots of time preparing fresh and healthy meals in a hot kitchen? Not me! So I composed 3 summer salads for sugar busters (we have to be satisfied to stick with it, right?) that will keep you happy and out of the kitchen in a flash.
My best trick for those hot sumer days is to prep everything in the morning while it is still cool and then enjoy the weather your good food for the rest of the day. I call that a win – win.
Here are 3 I think you would enjoy.
Carrot and Corn Slaw
1/2 cup sour cream ( regular, low fat, or non fat)
1/2 cup lite mayo
2 T. Sugar or Stevia equivalent
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
16 oz. fresh or frozen corn
4 carrots, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, chopped
Combine 1st 4 ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste. Then add your vegetables and chill for 2 hours.
You can vary your veggies as your garden produces new offerings. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Note: If using non fat or low fat, watch for “wateryness” once it sits for awhile. Just drain off the excess water and then stir, will be fine.
Granny’s Salad For Sugar Busters
3 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled & dices
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
fresh green lettuce leaves ( no ice berg lettuces, please)
Mix all together with this yogurt dressing ( or experiment with your own dressings)
Dressing:
1/2 cup plain non fat yogurt
2 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Honey
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Blend together well. Pour over above mixture. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to chill. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.
Orange-Kiwi Fruit Salad
1 head romain lettuce, torn
3 kiwi, peeled and sliced
11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1 large red onion, sliced
3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
Optional: croutons or chinese noodles
Combine them all together and then toss with this dressing or any of your own:
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
3 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. sugar free orange marmalade
salt and pepper to taste
Mix and shake thoroughly. You will get about 1 1/3 cup yield from this recipe. I do not normally use it all. I stretch it out for 2 luncheon salads. That is enough for me. You decide what is right for you.
Many sugar busters find that summer salads are THE way to go to keep them satisfied during the hot summer months. They experiment with new tastes and enjoy delicious combinations that they never tried before. Keeps it interesting and away from the ice cream stand. They do not try to make them the lowest calorie possible. Getting in your essential oils in your summer salads is a great way to keep satisfied and keep those sugar cravings at bay.