Prep ahead Salads

I'm not going to lie to you. I love vegetables, and I love salads. When I travel I crave two things.... fresh vegetables and ice cream, and that's the truth. However, I also have a crazy-busy life (who doesn't anymore!?!), so being able to prepare foods ahead of time is key to avoiding a nutritional meltdown. 

On super busy weeks, I know I have to prepare all of my meals ahead of time.  Unfortunately, that means my meals sit in their individual containers, just waiting to be added to my cooler for the day... and not all veggies sit well, especially when it comes to salads. 

These salads, however, are some of my favorites that not only survive sitting in their containers for a couple days, but even get better after sitting a bit. Because they sit well I often make 2 or 3 of the same salad at one time when I'm doing my meal prep for grabbing throughout the week, which makes meal prep simple, and quicker than preparing multiple items. Give them a try, and let me know your favorite! 

Full disclosure, I found all of the recipes a couple years ago when I did the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. A-FRICKin-Mazing! 

Lentil Lime Salad

1 cup cooked green lentils
1 medium carrot, shredded
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1½ tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Braggs Liquid Aminos (to taste; optional)
Himalayan salt (to taste; optional)
¼ tsp. ground cumin (optional)
Herbal seasoning blend (to taste; optional)

1. Combine lentils, carrot, cilantro, oil, lime juice, and Braggs Liquid Aminos, plus salt, cumin, and seasoning blend (if desired); toss gently to blend.
2. Let salad marinate, covered, in refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.

Calories: 326 Total Fat: 8 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 335 mg Carbohydrate: 49 g Fiber: 18 g Sugar: 7 g Protein: 19 g

Moroccan Carrot Salad

You've got options when it comes to this salad.  Quite often I don't use the salad greens for this particular recipe, I make the carrot salad, let it sit... and just eat it as is. However, if you want (or need) more green in your life, you can serve this salad over a bed of greens.  Either way it good, I promise!

3 medium carrots, grated
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground paprika
1 dash cinnamon
½ tsp. Himalayan salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste; optional)
3 cups Salad Greens (optional)

1. Combine carrots, oil, lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne (if desired) in a large bowl; mix well.
2. Let salad marinate, covered, in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Serve over 3 cups salad greens (optional).

Calories: 338   Total Fat: 29 g   Saturated Fat: 2 g   Cholesterol: 0 mg   Sodium: 1,197 mg   Carbohydrate: 23 g   Fiber: 7 g   Sugar: 9 g   Protein: 3 g

Asian Cabbage Salad

This one I don't let sit as long. I'll often make this recipe, and then portion it out into several different salads. Cabbage lasts a while, so I will often make a second batch a couple days later. 

3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1½ tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger root
2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
½ head Napa cabbage, shredded (4 cups)
½ medium carrot, shredded
¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Himalayan salt (to taste; optional)

1. Combine vinegar, lime juice, oil, ginger, and Bragg Liquid Aminos in a small bowl; mix well.
2. Combine cabbage, carrot, red and green onions, cilantro, and salt (if desired) in a large bowl; mix well.
3. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to blend.
4. Let saladmarinate, covered, in refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.

Calories: 383  Total Fat: 29 g  Saturated Fat: 4 g  Cholesterol: 0 mg  Sodium: 2,034 mg  Carbohydrate: 27 g  Fiber: 6 g Sugar: 15 g  Protein: 8 g