Aaaand today’s topic is one that I am VERY happy to talk about, because it is in fact part of my every day routine.

Big ass salads. What do I put in them, on them, and equally as important, what do I put them IN?!

Fear no more, I have the answer to all of your questions in this nice and easy 3-Step Process to making a big salad bowl:

Step 1: Green base. Sautéed kale (easier to digest it if it has been slightly cooked, but raw is good too!), mixed greens, arugula, spinach, baby bib – you get the idea.

Step 2: A layer of goodies – On top of your bed of greens, you layer all of your yummy treats. These can be fresh, or you can meal prep at the beginning of the week and serve cold or rewarm. I’ve learned that I do not like meal prepped foods, so I like to make everything fresh, but this is different for each person and the amount of time you have to make meals.

Toppings can include but are not limited to:

• sautéed mushrooms
• roasted sweet potato cubes
• coleslaw – I buy the precut organic mix at Whole Foods and then mix it in a bowl with some salt, pepper, and vegan mayo
• turkey meatballs
• avocado
• radishes
• tuna salad – Wild Planet is my favorite brand (in the pouch instead of the can), mix with salt, pepper, vegan mayo, lemon juice, and mustard
• chicken – stir fried in ghee is my favorite
• zucchini – sautéed or roasted
• sprouts
• cucumber
• hummus
• an egg – fried, boiled, or poached
• brussel sprouts – raw, sautéed, or roasted
• goat cheese
• sauerkraut
• broccoli – raw, sautéed, or roasted

There are MANY more options, but these are a *few* of my favorites.

Step 3: Top with seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower), nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, pine), olive oil, lemon juice, and maybe dressing.
Sometimes I like to eat them naked, without dressing, but lately I’ve been really into different homemade dressings, so it just depends on my mood. I also like to drizzle flax seed oil for some good fat.

Now what do I put this in??

I have a handmade ceramic bowl that is 10″. You can really do it in any bowl and it doesn’t have to be pretty, but but I prefer to make my food aesthetically pleasing, because for me it creates a positive experience between myself and the food that will be nourishing my body. I used to think people who dressed up their food were silly, but I really understand it now. There is some love and self respect that goes into it when you put in the effort to make it pretty for yourself.

If you end up making a big salad bowl, take a pic and tag me on Instagram @caleeshea or Twitter @caleeshea