Build Your Bowl Salad Cookbook
If you think healthy eating is just all about boring salads, then maybe you should listen to That Salad Lady. Her real name is Nina Cherie Franklin, and she knows all about nutrition, but on social media she shares her healthy eating tips as That Salad Lady. Now she’s taken all her knowledge and put it into a book so you can create healthy bowls to maximize your health.
She created her “Build Your Bowl” concept as a way to layer healthy foods into salads so that they are packed with nutrients but also with flavor, texture, and color. She teacher readers to layer non-starchy vegetables, assorted fruits, whole food fat sources (like nuts or avocados), high quality proteins, and fiber-rich starches to create delicious bowls that are layered with taste.
She makes you a list of all the supplies you’ll find helpful and helps you prep, so when it’s time to put things together, everything is ready for you. And when you have a plan that sounds good to you, she helps you put it all together in a way that works for you, whether that mans a work lunch in a Mason jar, all wrapped up in a tortilla for nutrition on the go, or blended into a smoothie that’s easy to take on the go to the gym or as a breakfast.
There is a chapter for No-Cook and Easy Prep Bowls, like Not Your Average Tuna Salad or the Hearty Bison Taco Salad Bowl. If you’re looking for a Power-Packer High-Protein Bowl, than you can try the Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta Salad, Barbecue Pulled Salmon Salad, or Rustic Autumn Chicken Salad.
Not a meat eater? Then you can head to the chapter of Vibrant Vegan and Vegetarian Bowls for a Sweet Sesame Tofu and Edamame Bowl, Vibrant Collard and Black-Eyed Pea Salad, or Watermelon and Roasted Beet Salad. If you’d prefer a Satisfying Low-Carb and Keto Bowl, you can try the Savory Sirloin Spring Salad, Eggplant Parmesan Spinach Salad, or Seared Pork Tenderloin and Kale Salad.
If you are dealing with health issues, you can head to the chapter of Nourishing Heart-Healthy Bowls and try the Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Salad, Sunrise Quinoa Bowl with Scrambled Tofu, or Seared Salmon and Mixed Berry Salad. Or you can choose something from the chapter of Revitalizing Detox and Ant-Inflammatory Bowls, like the Japanese Cucumber and Seaweed Salad with Tempeh, Moroccan Carrot Bowl with Lentils, or the Citrus Herb Marinated-Mushroom Salad.
I like how this cookbook is colorful and gives lots of options to mix and match. You can use these recipes as is or as a jumping off point for experimenting. Franklin gives lots of information about the benefits of many ingredients, so you can choose the benefits you are wanting and create your own salad bowl from there. And almost every recipe comes with its own custom dressing recipe, so you can make all your own dressings to use on these bowls or any salad you make.
While salad bowls are obvious choices for lunch and dinner, there are also tips for breakfasts and snacks. And there is a section on mindful eating, so that whether you’re eating salad or a cheeseburger, you can slow down and appreciate each bite, making eating a healthier and more pleasurable experience. There are colorful photos throughout the book, which I love, making these dishes look so inviting. Vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores can find dishes in this book that they will want to make and eat. But hardcore carnivores might be harder to convince.
A copy of The Build Your Bowl Salad Cookbook was provided by Fair Winds Press through Amazon’s Vine program, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.
