Kick-start healthy eating with crunchy salads

A fit and healthy life cannot be achieved by crash diets or small bursts of exercise. It can only be achieved by persistent efforts, which one has to make day in and day out, over a long period of time.

Everyone wants to lose weight, but not everyone is able to do so as it takes discipline and some amount of mindfulness about what goes onto the plate. As we know, diet is a crucial part of fitness and weight loss and it requires one to eat healthy and clean.

Working professionals find it especially difficult to lose weight, due to long office hours. However, a little bit of preparation can help you eat healthy even while working in the office.

With busy lives and less time to prepare meals, salads definitely come to rescue when you are on a constant lookout for a quick and healthy fix in order to stay energised for day-long activities.

Here are some quick and easy salad recipes from California Walnuts that you can make, in order to you on track of your fitness regimen.

Romaine (Lettuce) Salad With Walnuts And Beets

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 clove garlic minced

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad

8 cups torn romaine leaves

1/2 cup slivered red onion

1/2 cup coarsely chopped and toasted walnuts

1 package baby beets, cooked, peeled and quartered

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Vinaigrette

In a large bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Salad

1. In a large bowl add lettuce, onion and half the walnuts. Add the vinaigrette and toss well to coat.

2. Transfer to 4 large salad plates. Top with beets, parmesan cheese and remaining walnuts. Season with additional pepper, if desired.

Apple, Feta And Walnuts Salad

Ingredients

50 g iceberg

60 g arugula

15 g roasted walnuts

30 g feta cheese

8 g olives

50 g green apple

30 g sundried tomato dressing

3 ml lemon

For Sundried Tomato Dressing

15 ml olive oil

30 g sundried tomato

7 g garlic

2 g basil

5 g honey

10 ml red wine vinegar

2 g crushed pepper

2 g salt

1 bay leaf

Preparation

1. For the dressing- In a pan add bay leaf, olive oil, garlic, and heat it on low flame to infuse the flavours into the oil. Take off the heat and keep aside.

2. Then in a food processor, blend the rest of the ingredients except bay leaf till it is coarsely ground. Take out in a bowl and add the flavoured oil into it.

3. Now in another bowl add the dressing, lemon juice and the salad leaves. Take it out in a plate and then garnish with feta cheese, olive, walnuts and sliced green apple.

4. Serve cold

Refreshing Waldorf Salad With Walnuts

Ingredients

1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt or 1/3 cup non-fat Greek-style yogurt

1/2 cup California walnuts

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, preferably made with canola oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 cup chopped celery

2 medium apples, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

Preparations

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.

2. If using regular yogurt instead of Greek-style yogurt, place in a strainer lined with a paper towel. Put the strainer over a bowl and place in the refrigerator to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

3. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-9 minutes. Set aside to cool; then chop coarsely.

4. In a small bowl, combine the thickened or Greek-style yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and honey until smooth.

5. In a medium-sized bowl, toss together the toasted walnuts, celery, and apples. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.