Because the month of June is synonymous with freshness and lightness, salads appear to be the ideal meal. Satisfying and tasty, they accumulate good points and, as a bonus, relieve us of the few extra kilos accumulated during the winter. But so that this meal doesn’t mean frustration – or cravings – Sara Haas, dietitian, reveals the key ingredient to include in your salads.
A simple protein can make a difference in your salad
Salad is often associated with a (very) light, even not very gourmet, dish. Synonymous with deprivation, we think of it as a large bowl of green lettuce, without sauce or crispiness. However, a simple ingredient can make a difference on your plate, according to an expert.
“Many people focus on what they think they can’t eat, which leads to frustration and failure.”explains Sara Haas to the media
Eating Well.
When in reality, said salad can be colorful, nourishing, easy to prepare and above all complete. The nutritionist therefore recommends integrating proteins into each meal and in particular in her favorite recipe composed of grilled chicken, lettuce, zucchini and tomatoes.
Good news: to reproduce this salad at home, nothing could be simpler: you just need to buy the following ingredients and mix them all together.
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 1 small red onion;
- 5 tbsp. tablespoons of red wine vinegar;
- 2 medium garlic cloves, grated;
- 1 tbsp. teaspoon of Dijon mustard;
- 1 tbsp. teaspoon and a half of salt;
- 250 ml grapeseed oil, plus a little for the grill;
- 1/2 tsp. teaspoon of paprika;
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise;
- 1 small yellow pepper, cut into strips;
- 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, cut in half;
- 3 chicken breasts (approx. 225 g), boneless and skinless;
- 1 sachet (140 g) of young spinach leaves;
- 2 small tomatoes, cut into quarters.
Preparation
- Preheat the oven in grill mode to 200-230°C.
Cut the onion into quarters and thin strips. Marinate the strips in 2 tablespoons of vinegar. - In a bowl, whisk the garlic, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons vinegar, then drizzle in the oil to make a vinaigrette. Reserve 60 ml.
- Add paprika to the rest of the dressing. Mix the zucchini, peppers, onion quarters and lettuce with 120 ml of vinaigrette.
- Put the chicken breasts in the bowl with the remaining vinaigrette, add salt.
- Oil the grill and grill the lettuce for 1-2 minutes, the vegetables for 6 minutes and the chicken for 8-10 minutes.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice it. Cut the vegetables into pieces.
- Toss the lettuce with the spinach and reserved dressing. In a dish, add the chicken, grilled vegetables, tomatoes and marinated onions. It’s ready!
What does our expert think of this dish?
Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist, is rather convinced by the recipe.
“Proteins create satiety and help maintain our muscle mass, which itself supports our basic metabolism. They are also essential for the proper functioning of our hormonal system, which itself has a strong impact on our ability to lose weight,” she says.
To lose weight, but also for our overall health, we should therefore include proteins in each meal – which does not mean including meat in each meal. “Ideally we should aim for a ratio of 50% animal proteins and 50% vegetable proteins, for our health and for the ecology,”
further specifies the expert.
For my part, my favorite food to include in a salad is the egg: “it is an excellent source of protein, versatile and economical, a source of vitamin D and choline, in short, it is a superfood”, concludes Alexandra Murcier.