This is one of my favorite salads–I try to eat it everyday for lunch if I can. It helps to keep me on track because it serves as my anchor between breakfast and dinner. When I know I have my big salad waiting for me in the frig at work I’m less likely to jump on the fast-food bandwagon and it keeps me super-full on my 10 hour shifts!
I first started eating this salad when I did the Beachbody Ultimate Reset (a 21-day gentle cleanse and detox program) and it soon turned it a habit. The first day I brought it into work one of my coworkers looked at me when I started eating it and he said, “Are you really going to eat all that? That salad’s as big as your head!” Day after day everyone kept watching me eat the same salad for lunch and the name stuck. It’s now officially referred to as the Big Head Salad.
The base of the salad consists of mixed greens. I usually buy one of those big tubs of HALF AND HALF which is half baby spinach and half spring mix. I throw a few handfuls of that into a big bowl. You can’t have too many greens! Then on top of that I add shredded carrots, alfalfa sprouts, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, and jicama. Sometimes I add toasted cashews, sometimes not…or sunflower seeds. If I want some extra protein I’ll also add some shredded chicken, leftover salmon, or boiled egg whites. If you want to keep it vegetarian/vegan you could add things like ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or hemp seed. Just be sure to skip things like croutons, cheese, and dressings high in sugar.
Then I add a couple tablespoons of homemade creamy garlic dressing…a little goes a long way!
This one big salad will act as your anchor for the day and keep you on track to remind you how good it feels to eat real, fresh food. Eat a big salad for lunch and suddenly take-out for dinner doesn’t seem so appealing. That’s two healthy meals for the price of one. I cut up all my veggies for the entire week at once and prepare a week’s worth of homemade dressing so everything is ready to go. I throw everything together the night before and in the morning when I’m getting ready for work I don’t even have to think about it.
I challenge you to eat a Big Head Salad at least 3-4 days during the week to see how it makes you feel. 😉
Amanda is a wife, toddler mom, PMAD survivor, certified nutrition and running coach, recovering perfectionist, and minimalist-in-training. Her mission in life is to help others get off the pity potty, embrace their own brand of weirdness, and get after their dreams. Proverbs 3:5-6