When you think of salad, "filling" isn't often the first adjective that springs to mind. More likely you'll think "light lunch", "healthy" or "that green stuff on the side of my burger".
But let me tell you, the secret to making a salad that satisfies in the curious 'I am so full yet don't feel stuffed' way that heavier meals never will is so simple.
Protein.
But why? Protein is a more complex nutrient than carbohydrate (what your salad-y greens are made of) and takes longer to be broken down to used as energy. So therefore, you feel full. For longer. It's no more complicated than that.
Exactly what protein you choose to have in your salads is entirely up to you, however it's a great opportunity to have some oily fish (mackerel, herring, sardines, kipper, fresh tuna) which make your good cholesterol sing and your bad cholesterol say adios.
The best part is you can chop and change proteins (different varieties of fish, egg, chicken, lean red meat, tofu, pulses, beans...) and end up with an entirely different bowl of salad awesomeness every single day.
My Favourite Favourite Simple 'desert island' Salad: tuna and boiled egg.
What You'll Need:
- A generous bowlful of mixed salad leaves
- 1 carrot
- 1 small-medium courgette/zucchini
- 1 small tin tuna in either sunflower oil or brine*
- 1 boiled egg
The How-To:
1. Salad greens into bowl
2. Grate carrot and courgette and put over the top
3. Peel egg and roughly chop and add on top
4. Open tin of tuna and drizzle oil/brine over the salad, then add the tuna meat on top
5. Gently mix together and eat immediately
* tuna in sunflower oil is less healthy than in brine. However as it is used as the dressing and there is no more adding of oil I feel that I can get away with the 'guilty pleasure'. If you'd rather use brine or drain the tuna entirely, go right ahead.
