A Month of Salads

A month of salads?  I know this sounds like a silly idea, but I have loved it.  I have been wanting to do this for a while now- salad for dinner every night (and for lunches too).  This month, we are out of town about a third of the month, and the weather is pretty warm so I don't want to do much cooking in the kitchen. So I figured this would be a great month to try the salad dinners.  

As I explained in my menu plan post, our salads are more than just lettuce.  I top them with beans, lentils, quinoa, veggie burgers/vegan chicken nuggets, salmon or grilled meat for my husband, homemade croutons, lots of chopped veggies, salsa, guacamole, sautéed vegetables, seeds, nuts, fruit (dried or fresh), black pepper, and homemade maple-dijon vinaigrette.  The lettuce only makes up about half of the salad.  

My husband loves the salads because he says every bite tastes different.  His only complaint is that it is a little monotonous knowing that every night is the same thing for dinner, even though the salads themselves are different. To honor him, I think we won't do a whole month of salads again, but rather just a week at a time.  If you're planning on doing this, put your week of salads into your menu plan on your busiest week of the month (looming deadlines, right before vacation, before you host a party or guests, or even during laundry week).  You won't regret it- it makes dinner so quick and easy to prepare.  You can even make a big batch of beans, lentils, and/or quinoa at the beginning of the week to cut down even more work and time.  

This is a great time in your menu planning to take advantage of farmers markets and your personal garden.  Your eating will be local, sustainable, and delicious.  Try something new if you dare- a new lettuce blend, an unfamiliar fruit or vegetable- to keep yourself interested.  You may find something you really like.  

And speaking of things you might really like, the total cost for our groceries this month was $140.  If you need inspiration to do this many salads, the cost might just be it.  If your family is having a rough month financially, or you need something more frugal for the holidays or before a big expense, consider this way of eating.  Imagine how much this could be cut down if you grew your own lettuce and veggies too...it is my dream to live off the land in that way.  

And I haven't even mentioned the health benefits of this, especially if you buy some of it organic.  Side note: check out the dirty dozen list and the clean fifteen before you go out to buy a lot of produce.  You don't need to buy everything organic.  And don't make yourself feel bad if you just can't buy organic- it's okay, and it can be a little more expensive.  Opt for local instead of you have to choose.  The things we buy organic on a regular basis are lettuce (which is inexpensive at Costco and Cash and Carry), tomatoes, and apples.  Those are the organic items we can afford.  Things like corn, onions, avocados, carrots, bananas, and broccoli are cleaner produce according to the Environmental Working Group, so we choose not to buy those organic unless there is a great deal on them.  (Check out the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists on the Environmental Working Group website at www.ewg.org for more information.)  I would advise you to do what you can for your family in your current situation.  Always.  

Do you have any great salad ingredients or recipes?  Do you grow your own produce?  Thank you for reading about this mindful home.