Summer Salads: Planning One Week At A Time

A raw salad every day, whether it be for lunch or before your evening meal, is an excellent way to increase your veggie intake, alkalize your body, support healthy digestion, and promote optimal elimination. Who knew a salad could be so helpful, right?

While a salad a day sounds good on paper, having what you need on hand for 7 full days can be daunting. The first challenge I faced when our home committed to eating a daily raw veggie salad was stocking up on enough produce to keep it going for a full week. It was a struggle seeing that all of the produce remained fresh and appealing through a whole stretch.

Because I dislike wilted salads about as much as I dislike an extra trip to the grocery store, I’ve found a plan that works. I begin the week using my freshly bought tender greens and move on to romaine which has a longer shelf life. Kale is a great keeper if you store it properly. When time permits, I’ll strip the leaves right after purchase and store them in an airtight container where they will keep fresh for 3-5 days. Broccoli and cabbages will last for 5-7 days, making for some hearty and crunchy salads to wrap up your week.

Here’s a shopping list to get you started and some tips on how to turn it into a week’s worth of salads.

To say the Hubele household is “big on salads” is an understatement, so please adjust the amounts below accordingly.

• 2 heads of green or red leaf lettuce
• Basket of cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber
• Your choice of raw nuts or seeds to toast
• 1-2 heads of romaine
• 2-3 bunches of kale
• 2-3 medium heads of broccoli
• 10 carrots
• 1 kohlrabi
• Small red cabbage
• Small green cabbage

Days One & Two: Tossed Green Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber Slices, Grated Carrots, and Chopped Nuts or Seeds
* A tossed salad can be anything but traditional by dressing it up with one of these yummy options.

Day Three: Chopped Romaine Salad
* Making a chopped romaine salad really doesn’t require a recipe, but if you feel like something special, consider this vegan caesar which will require you to buy an extra bunch of kale. In that case, go ahead and prep tomorrow night’s kale while you’re at it and it’s a win-win!

Day Four: Kale Salad
* While good kale salad recipes are plentiful, this one is especially worth a try.

Day Five: Broccoli Salad
* I happen to be partial to this crunchy Asian inspired recipe.

Day Six and Seven: Mixed Veggie Slaw
* While a good slaw is delicious fresh, I tend to prefer it the second day. With the use of a food processor, you’ll make a giant bowlful in no time. Get started with this  Detox Slaw.

Here’s to happy, healthy eating!