Healthy Summer Salads

Who doesn’t love a salad with their meal during summer? Pairing a salad with a meal is more refreshing than eating a heavy baked potato when it’s 90 degrees outside. Here are two great, easy, and healthy salads that I love during the summer. Both salads are filled with fiber and protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied and either goes great with grilled fish, chicken, or steak. So, forget the fattening Caesar salad, and serve up one of these healthy and yummy alternatives instead! Enjoy!

Spinach Strawberry Feta Salad (serves 4)

1 bag of pre-washed spinach
1 cup of reduced fat feta cheese
50-60 raw, unsalted almonds (or almond slivers)
2 cups of sliced strawberries
½ cup of Annie’s Naturals Fat Free Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Calories per serving: 225

Apple Walnut Salad (serves 4)
1 bag of pre-washed romaine lettuce (or whatever type you prefer)
½ cup of Sargento shredded parmesan cheese
2 medium granny smith apples sliced or chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup of Trader Joe’s Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette

Calories per serving: 200

What's great about salads like these is that you can mix up the nuts, fruit, and cheese for an entirely different salad. Try pear with gorgonzola cheese. Or add cranberries to the apple walnut salad. Or, eat these salads as entrees by adding grilled chicken breast on top. Be as creative as you want!

Loaded Baked Potato - Easy, Yummy, and Healthy!

Ingredients:
1 package of extra lean ground turkey (save leftover ground turkey for other great meals) *for vegetarian version, substitute ground turkey for vegetarian chili
1 packet of Lawry’s taco seasoning
1 medium size potato

Toppings (pick and choose):
¼ cup of 2% milk shredded cheddar and jack cheese
Chopped chives
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of light sour cream
2 ounces of avocado
2 tablespoons salsa
¼ cup black beans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place washed potato on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. In a frying pan, brown extra lean ground turkey on medium heat. Follow the instructions on the back of the Lawry’s taco seasoning to season the ground turkey. Cooking the turkey should take 20-30 minutes so do this halfway through baking your potato. When potato is done, stuff with 4 ounces of the seasoned, extra lean ground turkey and top as desired with any of the above delicious and healthy options.

This meal is lowfat and packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Remember to measure out your toppings so that you don’t go overboard and add unnecessary calories. The serving suggestions above should be plenty to fill the potato.