Now that spring is upon us, it's time for a lighter first course. I've noticed that in the recipes presented here, we haven't offered a single salad. This one is simple, tasty, nutritious and low in calories.
The only reason I think so many people eat Iceberg Lettuce is habit. Widespread transport of out-of-season Iceberg Lettuce began in the 1920's in rail road cars packed with ice. It held up better than other lettuce, but falls short on nutrition.
Here's how it stacks up compared to Romaine Lettuce: They are identical in calories, but Romaine has about a third more more fiber, calcium and potassium, and more than seven times the vitamin C with nearly ten times the beta carotene of Iceberg Lettuce. Romaine not only tastes better, it's far better for you.
Another superior food choice is to use red peppers instead of green. True, they are more expensive, but red peppers are sweeter and far richer in beta carotene than their unripe green cousins. The walnuts and wheat germ in this recipe are both great natural sources of vitamin E while the wheat germ adds B vitamins as well.
Ingredients – Serves 4 - 455 calories per serving
1 head of romaine lettuce
2 large shredded carrots
2 chopped scallions (also known as a green onion)
4 medium vine ripened tomatoes
1 red pepper
1/2 cup crumbled reduced fat Feta cheese
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins
1 large cored and thinly sliced unpeeled Fuji apple
1 table spoon lemon juice
2 level tablespoons of wheat germ
Clean all vegetables, scraping off dirt with a brush. There is no need to buy an expensive vegetable wash. You can make your own by adding an ounce each of hydrogen peroxide and apple cider vinegar to large pot of water. Swirl the fruit and vegetables in the solution, then rinse.
Quarter the lettuce leafs. Shred the carrots. Chop the scallions.Core and slice the apple. You can stop the sliced apple from browning by drizzling lemon juice on the apple slices. The tartness will be offset by the apple's sweetness.
Place in a salad bowl with the tomatoes, raisins and walnuts. Toss. Remove the Feta cheese from its brine. Genuine Greek Feta cheese has a more distintive taste because it's primarly made from sheep's milk, although it's harder to find one with reduced fat. Crumble over the salad. Add low calorie Italian dressing. One of my favorites is Trader Joe's no fat Roasted Garlic Dressing at only 10 calories for 2 tablespoons.
Another option is to make your own dressing from apple cider vinegar extra virgin olive oil, and soy sauce blending to taste. I also add a couple of fresh crushed garlic cloves. Sprinkle the wheat germ on top.
For a light lunch, substitute a can of tuna fish or salmon instead of the Feta cheese.
Anti-Aging Juice
Clam Chowder
Coconut Ginger Chicken
Cold Beet Soup
Salad
Spring Stir Fry Tofu
Summer Barbecue
Winter Stew
All recipes presented here have been kitchen tested by the producers of "Reverse Aging Now."
Our goal is to make healthy food tasty so that you can keep your diet high in nutrients and low in calories, the essence of the primary method of slowing aging.