Often, we mix a little avocado, tomatoes and tuna thinking of making a “healthy” salad. Except that in reality, a salad cannot be reduced to three ingredients. “Otherwise it is cruelly lacking in deliciousness and balance, particularly in fiber,” warns Julie Boët, dietitian-nutritionist. Said salad must be better thought out to give you energy throughout the day. Here are 4 express salads – complete and beneficial, which our expert loves.
Express salad yes, but complete!
Many people think of creating a balanced meal by mixing a few salad leaves with tomatoes or cucumber. However, this type of plate does not last until the evening. “It can even quickly lead to cravings,” warns Julie Boët.
So that a salad is truly filling and balanced, “it must therefore be considered as a meal in its own right“, she insists. And not only be composed of two or three ingredients.
“It must provide proteins, quality carbohydrates, lipids and fiber. Proteins help maintain muscle mass and promote satiety. Carbohydrates provide the energy necessary for the body to function. Lipids, often unfairly demonized, are essential to provide energy and also contribute to satiety. Finally, the fibers present in vegetables, legumes or certain starchy foods contribute to good digestive functioning and allow better control of appetite”, explains the expert.
Without further ado, here are our dietitian’s favorite salads, as delicious as they are balanced!
Greek salad revisited
For one person:
- 90 g of cooked green or blond lentils;
- 30 g of feta cut into small cubes or crushed;
- 2 hard-boiled eggs;
- 1/2 red pepper;
- ¼ cucumber;
- 1/4 red onion;
- 5 black olives;
- 10 cherry tomatoes;
- Herbs according to your preferences: parsley, mint, basil.
For the sauce:
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice;
- 1/2 clove of garlic, minced;
- Salt and pepper.
The preparation:
Drain and rinse your lentils then finely slice your vegetables and assemble everything with the sauce.
Crispy chickpea salad
For one person:
- 1/4 cucumber;
- 1/2 avocado;
- 1 small can of chickpeas;
- 1/2 red onion;
- 30 g of feta;
- 1 small handful of pine nuts;
- Chopped parsley;
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil;
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika;
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin;
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil;
- The juice of 1 lemon;
- 1 teaspoon of mustard;
- 1 teaspoon of honey;
- 1/2 teaspoon of Provence herbs.
The preparation:
- Drain and dry the chickpeas. Mix them with the olive oil and spices, then bake them in the oven at 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are nicely crispy.
- Cut the vegetables. Finely chop the parsley, dill and red onion, then put everything together in a salad bowl. Add the vinaigrette and chickpeas when serving.
Mackerel salad with potatoes
For one person:
- 100g green beans;
- 100g firm-fleshed potato;
- a little arugula;
- 100 g of smoked or natural mackerel fillet;
- 1 large tomato;
- Optional: pumpkin seeds, red onion and ground flax seeds.
The preparation:
- Boil the potatoes and steam the green beans for about 30 minutes, then let them cool.
- Then arrange everything in a dish. Add the seeds, finely chopped onion, mackerel fillets and vinaigrette, then mix gently before serving.
Niçoise-style salad
For one person:
- 350g canned natural tuna (drained);
- 2 hard-boiled eggs;
- Cherry tomatoes (or 2 tomatoes);
- 2 handfuls of green beans (frozen or canned);
- 1 handful olives;
- Heart of lettuce or mesclun;
- 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tbsp vinegar;
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice;
- 1 teaspoon old-fashioned mustard.
The preparation:
- Cook the hard-boiled eggs for 10 minutes in a pan of boiling water. Meanwhile, cook the green beans, then let them cool.
- Prepare the vinaigrette. Divide the lettuce heart or mixed greens between two deep plates, then add the cherry tomatoes cut in half, the cooled green beans, the pitted olives, the drained and crumbled natural tuna, as well as the hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters.
“By combining all these good ingredients, you can compose in just a few minutes a complete, satisfying meal that is perfectly suited to hot days,” concludes Julie Boët.