I don’t know about you, but my eating patterns seem to change with the seasons. In the winter I like to fill up on hearty comfort foods to cope with the cold weather, but when spring rolls around, I enjoy lighter meals with fresh fruits and veggies, and it’s always a bonus if they’re colorful! One of my staples during the spring time are a light and tasteful salad. There’s lots of different produce that’s now in season that I like to incorporate, and they taste even better if you can eat them outside.
Watermelon feta –
I discovered this one a few summers ago. Feta is my favorite and what tastes better than watermelon on a hot day? The staples for this dish are spinach, watermelon, feta, and balsamic dressing. You can incorporate any berries you want into this salad, and I also like to put some mint on top which tastes really refreshing with the watermelon. Add some grilled chicken on top for extra protein.
Berry avo spinach salad –
In this next salad, the word “berry” is totally up to your own interpretation! You can stick just to blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, or have all three! The smooth taste of the avocado is a great contrast the tartness of the berries. It’s also balanced out with poppy seed dressing which you can put a healthier twist on by making it with Greek yogurt. Combine ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and one teaspoon of poppy seeds in a jar and shake!
Rainbow Quinoa Salad –
This salad is a must because who doesn’t love eating the rainbow? A bonus benefit about this salad is that if your meal prep involves quinoa and you have any leftover, just use it for this salad! Use arugula for the base, top with quinoa, and any of your favorite veggies from each color of the rainbow! My favorite combo is radishes for red, carrots for orange, yellow bell pepper for yellow, and cucumbers for green! Top with a light honey citrus vinaigrette. Add 1/3 cup oil olive, 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ lemon zested and juiced, and ½ orange zested and juiced, and a little bit of salt and pepper, and combine in a mason jar.
Written by GUADS staff member Emily