Thu | Apr 18, 2024

No coin flip between health and taste - Flavourful salads tick all boxes

Published:Thursday | October 22, 2020 | 2:17 PMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
Pause
This not-so-typical chicken salad with add-ons like avocado, egg and grilled bacon, offered by Kingston Blendz, constitutes an entire meal.
Contributed
This not-so-typical chicken salad with add-ons like avocado, egg and grilled bacon, offered by Kingston Blendz, constitutes an entire meal.
At left: With cabbage and carrots steamed to the right texture, and sweet potato, whether whole or mashed, added to the mix, this salad offers diet-friendly starch, packed with vitamins A and C.
Contributed
At left: With cabbage and carrots steamed to the right texture, and sweet potato, whether whole or mashed, added to the mix, this salad offers diet-friendly starch, packed with vitamins A and C.
Fancy a jardin salad? The French word ‘jardin’ translates to ‘garden’ in English. This garden salad with eggs is topped with cilantro and chia seeds, and gives a blast of flavour and big protein boost.
Contributed
Fancy a jardin salad? The French word ‘jardin’ translates to ‘garden’ in English. This garden salad with eggs is topped with cilantro and chia seeds, and gives a blast of flavour and big protein boost.
This salad definitely packs a punch and is spiced to perfection. With the option of grilled chicken or shrimp, the simple mix of pasta and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower) gives just the right amount of carbs, protein, and fats.
Contributed
This salad definitely packs a punch and is spiced to perfection. With the option of grilled chicken or shrimp, the simple mix of pasta and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower) gives just the right amount of carbs, protein, and fats.
Twenty-four-year-old Michael Palmer says salads can be healthy and indulgent. He aims to expand his mobile salad bar into a fleet across the island.
Contributed
Twenty-four-year-old Michael Palmer says salads can be healthy and indulgent. He aims to expand his mobile salad bar into a fleet across the island.
Sliced sweet potatoes makes this salad option a hearty option. Sweet potatoes are high in carbs, but low in fat.
Contributed
Sliced sweet potatoes makes this salad option a hearty option. Sweet potatoes are high in carbs, but low in fat.
Grilled chicken is good for weight loss as well as muscle and tissue repair because of its protein content. Plus, when cooked without heavy fats and oils, is lower in calories in comparison to other meats.
Contributed
Grilled chicken is good for weight loss as well as muscle and tissue repair because of its protein content. Plus, when cooked without heavy fats and oils, is lower in calories in comparison to other meats.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

For many, the word ‘salad’ conjures up a lifeless plate of green, leafy vegetables with dressing on the side.

But, if the testimony of British-born chef and cookbook author Harriet ‘Harry’ Eastwood is anything to go by, a salad is quite the opposite.

“The soul of a great salad lies in the freshness of its ingredients, the imagination with which it comes together, and the vibrancy of the colours, textures, and taste on your plate,” said Eastwood.

There are many reasons to try a salad and make it part of your daily diet. After all, the idea that fresh vegetables and fruits are essential to your good health and well-being isn’t news; but ever so often, it helps to get a reminder of the benefits.

Colourful farm-fresh vegetables and fruits, which get their primary pigments from natural phytochemicals, provide the richest vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help the body fight off diseases. There are some textural attributes — from crispiness to juiciness — that is associated with those good for roughage, needed for digestive health, and those that have large amounts of water, also crucial to the body. Meanwhile the freshness, sweetness, tanginess and spiciness are mostly for our eating pleasure and satiety.

“Salads can be healthy and indulgent,” says Michael Palmer, owner of Kingston Blendz. “Yes, they provide the nutritional benefits of vegetables, a natural source of fibre and aid in weight control, but they should also taste good.”

Palmer’s four-year-old mobile salad and juice bar has been dedicated to bringing a whole new meaning to eating healthily by changing an everyday tossed salad into soul-filled meals that don’t warrant the flip of a coin to eat this, not that.

“We understand that eating healthily can be a challenge for most people, that’s the reason for a menu which offers a variety of nutritious and flavourful add-ons, from fruits to bacon and eggs, so that salad nitpickers can personalise to their liking,” he said.

Mealtime has become a rushed affair, but it shouldn’t be a tussle, especially with many children at home. Though salads are the first thing that is either dropped from a meal and often not offered to a young one, habits can change.

“Children learn by example, so it helps if they see their parents or adults around them eating a salad,” said Palmer.

“Like adults, children eat with their eyes, so they are more inclined if the salads are colourful, [and] incorporate fun toppings such as fruits, nuts, and cheese, because these are the elements of the flavour,” he added.

Kingston Blendz delivers within the KSA, just call or WhatsApp 876-396-6897, or visit @KingstonBlendz on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

stephanie.lyew@gleanerjm.com