Chop To It!

After going to the grocery store yesterday, I felt like I should make a salad for dinner last night but just didn't have the energy or motivation for it once I got home from my massage.  So I told myself that tonight would be my salad preparation night.  While I cooked up some turkey tacos for my husband, I threw together a salad using all the fresh produce I had in the fridge. 

I must say that I am incredibly happy with my Oxo salad chopper with bowl.  Putting together a salad isn't nearly as daunting (if salad preparation can be daunting).  I don't have to chop up the pieces as much.  It's pretty much a coarse chop followed by a toss in the bowl and a roll under the chopper.

In the bowl here, I've got about half of a family-sized bag salad, shredded carrots (about a quarter of the bag), 2 bell peppers, a cucumber, a yellow onion, and a red onion.  I leave the tomatoes out until after the chopping.  I figure they're soft and squishy and just be demolished in the chopping process.Now, to the chopping!

This bowl of chopped salad will probably result in three meals (dinner tonight, and probably lunch for Wednesday and Thursday).  I have noticed that chopped salads tend to get "juicy" more quickly than non-chopped salads.  This makes sense, as the chopping breaks down the veggies and releases the water in them.  So chopped salads don't tend to keep as long and aren't as visually appealing.  But I'm willing to compromise on that if it means I have a grab-and-go salad in the fridge for when I pack my lunch tomorrow.  Tossing it with two tablespoons of salad dressing gives the salad just enough flavor - it's not drowning in dressing (as I used to do) but it's enough that I can actually taste the dressing in each bite.

Now that I've got the foundation of a yummy salad down, I'm wondering about what other elements I can add into it.  I've got artichoke hearts that I keep meaning to add to a dinner salad.  I'm not a fan of olives, though I'd be willing to give them a try.  Any suggestions out there?

Food Log:

• Meal 1
• 2 egg whites
• 40g oatmeal
• Meal 2
• 3oz chicken
• Green beans
• 2 tablespoons light salad dressing
• Meal 3
• 1oz almonds
• Light cheese
• Meal 4
• 3oz chicken 
• Salad
• 2 tablespoons light salad dressing
• 40g oatmeal
• Tablespoon peanut butter

Exercise:

• Time: 47 minutes on the elliptical
• Level:  Level 1 for 1 minute, Level 4 for 45 minutes, Level 1 for 1 minute
• Distance:  4 miles
• Calories: 600+

Today's Weigh-In:  150.0 / 149.5