Lose Weight with Your Own Salad Bar

At some point in my twenties, like a smack in the face, I realized that my previously fast metabolism must have slowed down without notice.

I had been exercising, but my eating habits were less than light. I wanted to eat healthy but I wanted it to be fast and not cost too much. I didn’t think I was asking too much.

I realized, after visiting an excellent salad bar, how easy it would be to eat healthy and lose weight if I had access to that type of a spread at home. That in mind, I came up with my own HOME Salad Bar where I could quickly and easily make fresh and interesting salads all the time with minimal prep time and no clean up.

You know what? I started eating a lot more salad instead of snacks or heavy, starchy, fattening meals and foods and I began to lose weight!

Eating out of your salad bar every day will help the pounds peel off naturally. Due to the low amount of calories, you can fill up on more food without packing on the pounds.

I encourage anyone who has ever wanted to stick to a light salad based diet but finds themselves leaning toward quick and easy food, to try a salad bar and watch their waistline whittle down.

You will need 1 large container for salad lettuce

AND, for your different vegetables and toppings...

Large food containers with lids, divided containers with lids or a variety of different sized containers with lids. You will need to put together some sort of system to make it as easy as possible for you to open up your personal salad bar several times a day. I like the one above, and the Prodyne one below. I also like to use a variety of containers in my food storage system.

You could use 1 large container, instead of divided ones, you could use a few smaller square or rectangular food containers that will fit snugly inside the large container!

The KEY is to make it EASY for you to get into, so the work doesn't discourge the payoff.

· 1 large container of salad lettuce

· A variety of fresh vegetables like carrots, peppers, and other salad favorites

· A variety of canned vegetables and legumes like green beans, beets, corn, garbanzo and black beans

· A variety of dried fruits, unsalted nuts and seeds

· Jars of pickles and or/pickled pepperoncini or banana peppers as per taste

· A selection of light and vinaigrette salad dressings

Next, you simply fill each of the small containers inside the large container with one of the fresh or canned veggies or legumes, chopping things as needed. I do a separate divided container with seeds, nuts, and dried fruits, keeping refrigerated items separately.

Salads can easily be put together by opening several containers instead of dealing with dozens of containers, washing, and chopping each time. The salad bar minimizes the chore of eating light.

· One salad can be put together in one container for lunch and a completely different salad can be made for dinner.

· Meats and cheeses can be added sparingly to suit tastes and acceptable caloric intake.

· Be creative and look to cultural foods for ideas to maximize variety on vegetables, fruits and legumes.

· Marinated, cooked, and pickled foods can increase interest and suit certain tastes.

· Certain foods must be consumed within a few days, so be sure to eat or clean out the food before items spoil.