Hold the bacon bits and mix in the fruit — enjoy the season with these healthier summer salad ideas.
Keep salads simple and fresh to work them into your healthy diet. Choose almonds instead of buttery croutons and add fresh fruit instead of the bacon bits. Here are other ideas for mixing it up, along with a suggested recipe.
Spinach Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
1 (6-7 ounce) bag or carton baby spinach (about 6-7 cups)
2-3 cups stemmed and sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds
4 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine baby spinach, strawberries and almonds. Add the dressing little by little and toss until greens are well-coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese over top and serve.
Dressing
Choose a light vinaigrette of your liking or try this homemade raspberry vinaigrette:
Ingredients
2-1/2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots, from one shallot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Combine raspberry vinegar, vegetable oil, honey, Dijon mustard, shallots, salt and pepper in a small sealable container and shake vigorously to blend, making sure honey doesn’t stick to bottom. Alternatively, combine vinegar, honey, mustard, shallots, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified.
Nutrition facts
Servings per recipe: 2
Salad: Calories: 373; Saturated fat: 9 grams; Sodium: 287 milligrams; Calcium: 269 milligrams
Dressing: Calories: 515; Saturated fat: 3 grams; Sodium: 24 milligrams
Healthy recipe tips
To cut back the calories in this recipe, drizzle the salad dressing very lightly. The delicious taste of the spinach and berries will shine through even brighter! To reduce the saturated fat, go easy on the goat cheese and add more strawberries or a second fruit such as blueberries.
