When most people think of a salad, the idea that they have is that little salad that comes before your dinner. Salads can be so much more than that!

With the proper ingredients – and the right serving size – salads can be the whole meal. To help us make a delicious and filling salad, Emmaline Rasmussen, MS, RD, LDN, Clinical Research Dietitian at NorthShore, shares one of her favorite salad recipe:

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 cup mixed greens
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• ⅓ cup cucumber, sliced
• ⅓ cup carrot, shredded
• ⅓ cup red bell pepper, diced
• 3oz sliced baked or grilled chicken, tofu, salmon or 1 hard-boiled egg
• ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tbsp basil leaves, chopped
• ⅓ cup baked chickpeas

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put all your mixed greens and spinach in a large bowl.
2. Add in the cucumbers, carrots, bell pepper and tomatoes.
3. Put in the protein of your choice.
4. Top with the tasty toppings, which are your pumpkin seeds, basil leaves and chickpeas.
5. In a separate bowl, place all dressing ingredients and whisk until combined.
6. Toss all salad ingredients in a medium bowl.
7. Dress and plate your salad.*

*If this is your dinner, you can add a multigrain roll on the side for a more filling dinner.

Tip: When you are making your salad, it is important that you keep the ingredients as fresh as possible. A lot of veggies, a good protein source and little dressing help keep your salad healthy but filling.

Make sure you check back every month for a healthy recipe from Emmaline in our Nutrition Web Series.