Fresh Spring Salads for Weight Loss
Spring is a time of new growth, and there is no better way to celebrate than with the fresh produce that is in season. You can get sidetracked by sneaky high-calorie dishes such as salads with fatty dressings and cheesy veggie dishes, and sugary fruit desserts, but there is no need. The BariatricPal Store has ideas for easy ways to use those fresh veggies and fruits so you can keep losing weight while feeling the spring vibe.
Salad
Start your spring salad with…well…spring greens! Baby spinach, endive, romaine, and butter lettuce are just some of your options. Toss in crunchy raw veggies such as sweet snap peas, crisp radishes, and soothing sliced fennel. Then make your salad tasty and low-cal with BariatricPal Low-Cal Salad Dressing in Italian or Honey Mustard. Your salad can be an entire meal if you top it with some protein such as grilled chicken or shrimp or low-fat cheese, or toss it with beans.
Cooked Veggies
These make great sides to a protein because they are low in calories yet filling and even elegant or beautiful. A pan of purple beets, orange carrots, and green broccoli makes a cheerful rainbow for your plate; just roast your veggies with olive oil and a little salt and pepper with optional garlic. Grill asparagus tips for a fancy-looking but simple side, or try Greek Green Beans made with BariatricPal Protein Tomato Soup for a new protein-packed twist on veggies.
Dippables
Nothing dips better than fresh vegetables. You can make a beautiful vegetable platter with snow and sugar snap peas, young carrots, white and green asparagus, and radishes. There is no need for unhealthy dips. Enjoy hummus or guacamole, or try one of our protein-filled dips such as Protein Salsa or Veggie Dip.
Fruity Flair
Take some fresh fruit, turn it into pie filling, and bake in a pie crust, and what do you have? A sugary, fatty diet disaster, to be precise! Why turn your fiber-packed, antioxidant-rich fruit into a weight loss hurdle when you can enjoy a sweet and satisfying dessert guilt free? Eat sweet strawberries on their own or sliced and mixed with nuts and seeds, or make a reduced-calorie Waldorf salad with oranges, pineapples, nuts, fat-free yogurt, and low-carb Vanilla Protein Pudding.
Let the fresh flavors of spring put a spring in your step as you lose weight while enjoying great tastes. Avoid the pitfalls and have low-calories, fiber-filled dishes that help you appreciate spring even more.
