Healthful Bites

I’m a big fan of soup as a meal starter. It fills you up and can pack a nice veggie punch if you choose correctly. But some days, a salad is a must instead—due to hot weather or a great deal at a local restaurant (like this meal)! And if you create your salad right, it can be an excellent main course.

This August, a deli-like establishment near my office called Cafe Metro has offered $6 build-your-own salads when ordered online. Considering many similar salads in the city can cost upwards of $10 a pop, I’ve been happy to take advantage of this steal while it lasts!

This salad concept is all the rage for Manhattanites at lunch, I’ve noticed. You can build an awesome meal if you make the right choices, but you can also pile on some not-so-nutritious things to create a potential artery-clogging meal (bacon, full-fat Caesar dressing, breaded chicken, loads of cheese, etc.) When constructing a salad like this, I try to aim for a protein source, low-fat dressing (on the side for the fork dip/ salad stab move) and unlimited veggies of choice. Feast your eyes on the latest creation:

And from above…

Fresh, light and delicious! This mega salad included romaine, carrots, grilled chicken, chickpeas, red grapes and red onion. A bit of a goofy combination, but it tasted great!

Plus, I love frequenting a business with such a great and fun Twitter presence. I even won a free lunch one day by answering a tweeted trivia question! If you live in the NYC-area and are on Twitter, be sure to follow Cafe Metro—especially on Tuesday and Thursday mornings!

And while we’re on the subject, check out these “best and worst” fast food salad picks from WebMD and consider yourself warned about the 50 plus grams of fat in some of the “healthy” meals listed!

If you could create a salad with unlimited toppings and endless possibilities, what would it contain?

Now that I am a true New Yorker, I have set a goal for myself to indulge in the best the city has to offer. One awesome perk? The Union Square Greenmarket, allegedly the “largest and most diverse outdoor urban farmers market network” in America. Despite being in the middle of the “concrete jungle,” there are rows upon rows of vendors selling fresh produce, farm-raised meats and hearty baked goods.

Besides piles of veggies, there are plenty of people too!

Have you ever noticed how photogenic squash can be?

I’ve extolled the virtues of the farmers market and the Greenmarket briefly before, but I have yet to fully take advantage of the wonderful offerings! So this weekend, I came with plenty of small bills and a reusable bag, excited to load up on plenty of goodies. I also brought along a piece of wisdom I received from the August issue of SELF: Don’t prepare a list for the farmers market, just arrive and grab what looks the best and what sellers recommend (grower knows best!).

My original idea, after filling a bag with fresh, colorful produce, was to use my purchases in a roasted vegetable pasta dish, like the one I enjoyed at my graduation dinner.

The loot all cleaned and camera (or is it oven?) ready! Clockwise from bottom: garlic, baby eggplants, mini yellow summer squash, carrots (red, yellow, orange), cherry tomatoes and onions.

Well, once disassembled, I realized that I may need to make about three boxes of pasta to compete with this load of veggies! And since I was dining solo, I improvised. The new plan: make a roasted veggie recipe as the main dish for dinner, and supplement with half a whole wheat pita and a cup of sweet fruit. Good call! You could also serve with a grilled chicken breast, over whole wheat rice or quinoa (or stick with the original idea and mix with whole wheat pasta).

I chopped all ingredients “rustically” and placed them on a foil-lined pan sprayed with PAM. With items so farm fresh and seasonal, all you need is a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Let the flavor shine through!

Then, I placed the trays in the oven at 450* for about 40 minutes, tossing halfway with tongs so that both sides are lightly browned. (FYI: The veggies will shrink quite a bit during cooking, and the tomatoes will burst and release their juices).

The final product, with enough leftover for three more meals! It was as tasty as it was colorful.

Farmers market finds are perfect for saving cash and inspiring your family (and yourself!) to try unique, flavorful, just-picked fruits and vegetables. Have you visited your local market this summer? You may be able to find one here.

What is your favorite seasonal summer food? How do you use it?

*This post is dedicated to my Grandpa, who is now walking around in Heaven enjoying plenty of delicious meals like this! :)