This is the salad recipe that I have used many times over. It is delicious, versatile and healthy. The basis for it is just three ingredients, then you can customise it to suit your taste.

Basic recipe

• 60g baby spinach ( or approx. 2 cups, or half a bag of spinach from the supermarket
• 250g cherry tomatoes (or two large tomatoes cut up)
• 1/2 continental cucumber (or 1 Lebanese cucumber)

Method

Rinse spinach in a colander. Break off stems and remove leaves that are blemished. Wash tomatoes and add to spinach. Cut up the cucumber and add to spinach. Place in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last about 4 days.

30 kCalories per serving, total recipe 90 kCalories. Serves 3 for mains, 5 for side dish. 2g Protein, 6g Carbohydrate, 0g fat

Now Customise!

Optional extras

• olives
• feta cheese or shredded low fat tasty cheese (see note at bottom of recipe)
• red onion
• avocado
• roast baby beetroot, skinned and diced
• celery
• corn kernels
• snow peas
• carrot
• red capsicum
• cos lettuce
• radishes
• sprouts
• nuts, e.g. pine nuts, sliced almonds, pistachios
• seeds, e.g. quinoa, flax seed, sunflower seeds
• dressings, e.g. vinaigrette, Greek or Italian salad dressing, low fat mayonnaise
• lean protein – grilled chicken breast, low fat ham or bacon (grilled), tin of tuna in low fat sauce, boiled egg
• fruit, e.g. mango, apple, pear, dried fruit such as apricots or cranberries
• herbs, e.g. parsley, chives, mint

My favourite combinations

Basic recipe plus:

• olives, feta cheese and Greek dressing
• chicken breast, avocado, snow peas
• Feta cheese, baby beetroot, celery
• cos lettuce, boiled egg, low fat mayonnaise
• small can of tuna in sun-dried tomato and onion (John West brand, 99% fat free)

Meal Prep Idea

Make the basic salad, divide into 3 portions. Each portion is your lunch. Take the extras to work separately and add just before you eat it, then the salad won’t go limp and soggy.

Alternative way of serving: take a wrap to work, and combine all ingredients as a burrito https://midlifestylist.com/2020/01/10/how-to-make-a-healthy-burrito/

Note: a serving size of feta cheese is 20g, or a piece the same size as your first finger. This equals 53 calories. 2 Tablespoons of shredded cheese = 74 calories