Take Your Salad to Work

fruits and veggiescookingweight control
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

(Pictured above - our featured salad ready to go to work with you)We have been chopping, arranging and photographing at least one hundred salads. Not done yet. But getting there - over 1000 photos in the folder now. I can't thank my crew enough.I have noticed a few things -

  • The more you make salad, the faster you get. This applies to everyone, no matter their kitchen experience.
  • It is really fun to have all kinds of crazy dishes and plates, even if they don't match. You can be an artist with a few veggies and a plate.
  • You can eat 5 or 6 salads in a day. This is particularly easy to do when they are already prepared!
  • The most salads you can make in one day is probably 15.
  • After you make 15 salads in a day, one or two seem very easy.
  • Having all ingredients measured and or cut FIRST makes assembly VERY fast and fun.

Here is a really fun Tuna Brown Bag salad I created for CFFH Member/Newsletter a few years back. It is a  "take your salad to work" creation.

Dear Mom or Dad,I am so thrilled you would take me to work. Now I know you can have something healthy to eat and you can get it fast so you can walk a little during lunch. I am really proud you would take me out and show me to your friends.Love,Your Salad!

Okay - so we are getting carried away - but this was a fun project. Here is the mis en place - meaning "everything in its place" - this shows you how to prepare and measure everything:This delicious recipe can be made ahead of time and assembled at your desk.Tuna Brown Bag Salad4 low-sodium whole-grain crackersSalad ingredients:1 tablespoon olive oil2 tablespoon flavored vinegar4 cups dark leafy lettuce4 cups sliced cucumber4 cups baby carrotsTuna salad ingredients:1 6-oz can albacore tuna packed in water, drained1 tomato, cored and diced small1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise2 tablespoon red onion, minced1 stalk celery, diced smallblack pepper to tasteDivide the tossed salad ingredients among 4 individual plastic bags, keeping the oil and vinegar in the bottom, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Mix all ingredients for tuna salad together in medium-sized mixing bowl. Pack in 4 individual bags and refrigerate until ready to serve.To serve: Toss salad ingredients in bag and place onto plate. Top with tuna salad and a cracker.Servings:Serves 4. Each serving: 2 cups.Diabetic Exchanges:Bread & Starch: 1.0Lean Meat: 0.5Vegetable: 2.0Total Preparation & Cooking Time: 15 min. (15 Prep, 0 Cook)Per Serving:Calories: 215, Total Fat: 4.8g, Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 302mg, Carbohydrates: 31.3g, Dietary Fiber: 6.8g, Sugars: 13.9g, Protein: 15.6g, Vitamin A: 9999.9iu (199%), Vitamin C: 35.6mg (59%), Calcium: 72mg (7%), Iron: 2.7mg (15%)This is just 200 calories so you should probably add a baked yam or potato to your menu. We love baked yams for lunch! We did not use whole grain crackers, but these are no-salt-added toppers that are also low in fat. WASA crisps that are whole grain would be a great choice if you can find them and don't mind adding more to your budget. We tried to keep this one more simple for the every day person to take to work.So, if you make it at home or at your desk, we just know yours will look like this:Tell us what you take to work for lunch - the top 5 comments receive a free Snack poster! (If you made comments on the other posts from last week we are getting in touch with you for the free poster.)And, this post is made possible by our wonderful Premium CFFH Member Area FAH Membership and http://nutritioneducationstore.comCheck out our new salad book:

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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