4 Ways to Spruce up your Salad

Todays blog is dedicated to one of my favorite foods: salad. In my mind, theres nothing better than a bed of romaine lettuce topped with all kinds of goodies. I love salad so much I eat it nearly everyday. 

This love for salad has been an advantage for me as Im losing weight. Not only is it nutritious, but its a great way to fill up while still slimming down. I have had to modify my list of toppings to fit my diet, though. For example, on the HCG diet, dousing my salad in ranch is not really an option. I also have to cut out the cheese, the croutons, the olives, the ham, and the cottage cheese. It may seem to you that cutting these things out ruins the whole thing, it makes it boring.

Well maybe it does make it boring, but there are certain flavor packed, diet friendly toppings you can add in place of the not-so-diet-friendly ones. 

Here are my four favorite HCG friendly salad toppings: 

Salsa - Some people who do the HCG Diet are pretty strict about the mixing vegetables. I personally have never had a problem mixing tomato products with lettuce. Knowing this I set out to find a delicious salsa with no added sugar or oil. :) I didnt have to look to hard because luckily, Pace makes their picante salsa simple and delicious. I use a couple tablespoons on top of my lettuce. 

Franks Hot Sauce - The great thing about using hot sauce on salads is the way spicy foods help me slow down. Because my mouth is burning from hot sauce I usually drink more water and I get fuller faster. Franks Hot Sauce has a great flavor and it doesnt contain sugar or oil. The spicy flavor in combination with chicken and tomato makes a delicious dinner. Just make sure you use the hot sauce and not the wing sauce (it contains oil).

Lime Juice - This is one of the cheapest ways to tantalize your taste buds. I love squeezing half a lime over a bed of lettuce topped with a bit of salsa and lean ground been. Its a healthy taco salad!

Banana Peppers - Now these arent technically on the HCG protocol, but they happen to be one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world. I have to use them in moderation but banana pepper rings fro Mezzetta are packed with tangy flavor that is extremely satisfying on a bed of lettuce with no dressing.

What healthy toppings do you put on your salad? 

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Low Carb Broccoli Salad Recipe

I have been completely obsessed with broccoli salad lately. The crazy thing is that Im not even that big of a fan of broccoli, but for some reason this salad is like a heavenly chorus of random flavors that is perfect for adding a little fiber into my life.

Its easy to make, and its pretty low carb. I make a big bowl and eat it through the week when I dont feel like making anything.

Ingredients:

4 cups broccoli
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup Turkey bacon, cooked and diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup mayo
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons Trulicious powdered stevia
1 gallon Ziplock bag

Directions:
Wash broccoli and cut into small pieces. No need to keep long stems, you can cut pretty close to the floret. Put chopped broccoli in a large Ziplock bag and set aside. In a small bowl, combine mayo, apple cider vinegar and Trulicious. In the large Ziplock, add the currants, turkey bacon, red onion and sunflower seeds. Pour mayo mixture into Ziplock bag, seal and shake it up. pour into a large bowl, cover, and chill for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 363 calories, 10 grams net carbs, 9 grams protein.

This is a simple recipe, its usually featured on salad bars. My dad makes a version of this that I had fourth of July weekend (he is a diabetic and loves experimenting with food). He used regular mayo and it definitely had a creamier flavor than this version, but I made a couple ingredient swaps to make it a little lighter. For instance, I used Mayo made with olive oil, I used unsalted sunflower seeds, stevia, and I used turkey bacon. If you ask my dad, he will say that this recipe has to be done with REAL Mayo, but I was pretty satisfied with my version. :) What is your favorite way to use raw broccoli?

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So what is The Fast Diet

The Fast Diet is a simple concept on paper. It is written by Michael Mosley and in basic terms it sets out the concept of significantly reducing your calorie intake for 2 days every week. He states that on a fast day, you should cut your calories to a quarter of a normal calorie intake.

• As per RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) men should consume no more than 2500 cals per day which would mean on a fast day, no more than 625 cals should be consumed.
• For women, RDA suggests no more than 2000 cals should be consumed per day which would equate to no more than 500 cals consumed on a fast day.

Sounds easy?

Well to be honest, yes it does, and the best bit is yet to come. Mosley also states that when not fasting, you are allowed to practically eat what you want, when you want. Providing you stick to the 2500 / 2000 calorie guideline, then you are allowed to have a free rein for the rest of the week.

Please keep reading my posts though as along the way I will be discussing some exercise techniques / tips and will also be posting about super foods which will help speed up the metabolism...

D x

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