Let’s face it: Eating healthy can be hard work! Shopping for fresh produce, preparing nutritious (yet delicious) snacks and meals, learning portion sizes, counting calories and resisting favorite unhealthy foods can take a lot of time and mental energy. One of the keys to maintaining a healthy diet day in and day out is to keep healthy foods always available, prepped and ready to go so grabbing the healthier alternative when hunger strikes is really the quickest and easiest option.
If healthy eating has become your priority this new year, you are most likely making and consuming a lot of salads. While salads can often be boring and time-consuming to prep, there are ways to make them fun, yummy and a breeze to assemble. Today, I’m going to show you how to make your own at-home salad bar that will make salads a cinch to prep and a treat to eat!
Pulling out and chopping up a variety of veggies can seemingly take too much time when you’re starving! The trick is to have your salad ingredients always at the ready. Start by buying a variety of fruits and vegetables that you like. Get creative! Besides the usual salad staples (tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and lettuce), also consider:
- Crunchy vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, celery, radishes)
- Canned beans
- Corn
- Apples
- Canned fruits (in juices, not syrup)
- Cooked sweet potatoes
- Cooked squash
- Cubed meat (turkey, chicken, ham)
- Cubed cheese (part-skim, low-moisture cheeses)
Rinse, cut and jar up all your salad fixings into air-tight containers, then store all the fixings in one easy-to-grab bin.
Fresh herbs are the key to making a salad extra scrumptious, and adding them doesn’t require a ton of work either. Dedicate another bin to your favorite fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, dill, mint and chives are all awesome on salads!). Keep the bin next to your salad fixings. Tuck in a kitchen shears to make chopping up these flavorful additions hassle-free.
Look for bins that fit your fridge yet still hold everything you need. My blue bins are plastic magazine files from The Dollar Spot at Target. The chalkboard labels help keep everything easy to find during the mealtime frenzy! At prep time, grab the bins and assemble your salad without having to pull out knives or cutting boards! It’s so easy, even kids can help out!
These caddies are also great for pre-portioned snack bags, kid snacks, fruit and other healthy foods. Preparing and storing your healthy foods in attractive bins will catch your attention and help you reach for those foods first when hunger strikes!
In order to get more nutrients into your daily diet and make your salads more interesting, complement your refrigerated salad bar with a counter-top dressing and toppings station!
Start by purchasing a variety of jars and bottles from a local craft store.
Add some personality with vinyl or chalkboard labels.
Jar up your favorite dry ingredients to make them quick and easy to add to your salads. Nuts, dried fruit and favorite spices add texture and flavor to otherwise boring vegetables.
Fill glass bottles with a variety of liquid ingredients to make your own salad dressings. Oils, vinegars, honey, jams and syrups can be combined to make your salad shine!
Outfit your salad station with gadgets like juicers and graters to add fresh fruit flavor! A mini salad dressing mixer is the perfect kitchen accessory for whipping up unique dressings night after night!
Keep THIS perfect recipe card close by to pull together yummy custom salad dressings on the fly!
Place all your dry ingredients, liquids and tools into a decorative tray or basket to keep everything corralled and convenient!
Put your at-home salad bar in a place you can easily access. Remember, the key to healthy eating is to keep everything easy to reach and easy to maintain!
Making systems fun and pretty is a sure-fire way to trick yourself into using them. If preparing fresh veggies and salads seems like too much work at the end of a long day, spend a little time making yourself this at-home salad bar. While you’re at it, also spend an hour or so organizing your kitchen. Place mixing bowls, cooking utensils, food scales, pots and pans in easy-to-reach places so cooking is as hassle-free as possible.
Lastly, be sure to visit ForRent.com for more kitchen organization and storage solutions HERE! Now it’s time to get chopping!