The Importance of Salad

One of the dieting rules that stood out to me was the suggestion that we strive to eat foods of all different colors because they contain different vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutriants essential to our health. This rule proved especially difficult to apply because, as I discovered, most of my favorite foods are similar colors (I don't think adding ketchup counts as adding color to my meals). Even after a trip to the supermarket I found I was still cooking and eating meals in mostly the same color groups. Chicken and rice, pasta and cheese sauce, blackened fish and cous cous. I lacked fruits & vegetables as well as other more "colorful" food items. I found the easiest, and quickest way to "eat my colors" was through the salad bar. Luckily, I actually like salad (when the ingredients are fresh, not necessarily OR salad bar) so this has been less of an issue for me. Robert's fresh food market is a close drive and has an excellent, and cheap, salad bar with peppers of all colors, grape tomatoes, and baby corns. I've now been eating salad almost three times a week (hoorah!) and actually feel healthier.