{"id":2543,"date":"2018-05-22T08:59:19","date_gmt":"2018-05-22T12:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=2543"},"modified":"2018-05-22T08:59:19","modified_gmt":"2018-05-22T12:59:19","slug":"lettuce-celebrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2018\/05\/22\/lettuce-celebrate\/","title":{"rendered":"Lettuce Celebrate!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Happy National Salad Month!<\/h1>\n

Hi! I’m Haley and this summer I’ll be interning with DinnerTime. I am extremely excited to learn about all things food, especially since I am a rising senior in college and am now faced with answering the classic\u00a0question: What’s for dinner? More often than not, my roommates and I end up throwing a salad together for dinner, and gather around the small table in our apartment to vent about our days.\u00a0Like\u00a0many people, such as Ron Swanson from <\/span>Parks and Rec<\/span><\/i>, I occasionally think of salad as just rabbit food, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that way! <\/span><\/p>\n

While I was once not so fond of salads and turned my nose up at the idea of having so many vegetables in one space, college has changed me. I have found that salad is the perfect meal to grab on the go when I\u2019m in a rush and need something quick, and healthy, before heading off to the library. I\u2019ve also come to realize something even better: Salads\u00a0can consist of more than merely greens, like lettuce and spinach! I can have a salad featuring\u00a0other vegetables like artichokes, cucumbers, or even black beans. As a college student on a tight budget, I don\u2019t have the ability to go to restaurants to try the newest trends revolving around the world of salad (and trust me, there are a lot). So instead, I continually put my mediocre cooking skills to the test and bring out my salad bowl.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Try being your own salad guru in the comfort of your own home! \"\"Salad allows you to truly tap into your creative side, as there are no rules when it comes to building this plate. You can mix and match different fruits, vegetables, meats\u00a0and dressings; so don\u2019t be shy! If you\u2019re feeling daring, maybe throw in some nuts or seeds for that extra crunch and perhaps toss in some…QUINOA! <\/span><\/p>\n

While we may be excited about incorporating more adventurous foods into our salads, we should\u00a0be mindful of the kids too. Like my mom always tried to do with me, encourage them to try new veggies! Let them help you make the salad because that way, they know exactly what’s going into the dish and will be more likely to join the clean-plate club.\u00a0<\/span>There are no wrong answers, so have fun with it!<\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a fun joke to get the party started: <\/span><\/h3>\n

“Why did the tomato turn red?” — “It saw the salad dressing!”<\/span><\/h3>\n

8 Things I Like to Throw Into a Salad…Recipes Included:<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Nuts<\/a> (almonds, cashews), seeds (flax): healthy nutrients that add a crunch! <\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Fruit\/Dried Fruit<\/a>: a flavorful kick to any salad, but be aware of added sugars. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Quinoa<\/a>: protein rich, easy to freeze and use when needed! <\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Meats\/Seafood (chicken<\/a>, steak<\/a>, tuna<\/a>, salmon<\/a>): stocked with protein and packed with other vitamins.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Hard-boiled eggs<\/a>: heart healthy snack as well as salad topper! <\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Pasta<\/a>: low in sodium and cholesterol free!<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Cheese<\/a>: calcium rich and perfect for any salad.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Fresh herbs<\/a>: the ultimate taste enhancer! \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0Submitted by Haley York, DinnerTime Intern<\/em><\/p>\n

    Here are a few of my personal faves!<\/h3>\n
    \n
    \n
    <\/h5>\n
    Spinach and Strawberry Dinner Salad<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    <\/h5>\n
    Steak and Spinach Salad<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    <\/h5>\n
    Grilled Mexican Quinoa Salad<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    A bright, fresh, summer salad!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Easy to make ahead, enjoy cold or warm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n

    \"\"<\/a>Make extra and enjoy for lunch tomorrow!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    .<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Happy National Salad Month! Hi! I’m Haley and this summer I’ll be interning with DinnerTime. I am extremely excited to learn about all things food, especially since I am a rising senior in college and am now faced with answering… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,7,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2543"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2543\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}