Recipes

I find myself eating a lot of salads when it’s hot out. Maybe it’s because I don’t have an air conditioner and can’t be bothered to turn on the stove in the middle of the day. Maybe it’s because the heat makes me think of my bathing suit, and unconsciously I turn to salad. Whatever it is, there is a lot of salad being eaten these days. I also fill my plate with tons of veggies – whatever I have on hand, usually with herb salad mix, and some protein – and then comes the exciting part – the extra toppers. Here are my favorites – would love to hear about yours!

1. Olives – 10 olives for 1 weight watchers pointsplus
I love the saltiness and texture of olives in virtually any salad – and ten large olives for 1 point – it’s amazing. Chopped up and sprinkled around – they add a ton of flavor and depth, and almost serve as a dressing on their own if you buy good ones. My favorites – the olive bar at Whole Foods. I load up my container with loads of different kinds and just add ten at random to my salads. Love.

2. Crumbled Goat or Feta Cheese – 2 tbsp for 1 weight watcher pointsplus
I love any type of crumbly cheese on my salad, but my two favorites are goat cheese and feta cheese. You can add two tablespoons, which is actually plenty, to any salad to add a ton of flavor. With the olives above, and a squeeze of lemon juice, you really don’t need dressing.

3. Sunflower Seeds – 1 tbsp for 1 weight watchers pointsplus
I like to add some nuttiness and added protein to a salad by tossing in some sunflower seeds. The key is to toast them in a saute pan before adding them so the flavor deepens. And don’t be worried about the serving size – 1 tbsp is actually a ton of sunflower seeds.

4. Marinated Veggies – 0-1 point weight watchers pointsplus per serving
There are jars and cans of low points veggies in my cabinet just for salads. Depending on the spin, I add different ones. My favorites – roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, pickled green beans, and pickled beets. Just make sure to buy veggies packed in water to keep the points value low.

5. Fresh fruit – varies, mostly 0 weight watchers pointsplus
Lastly, I just love fresh fruit in my salads, and I use just about everything. Strawberries, blueberries, apples, fresh peaches, jicama, pineapple. I use it all. The contrast of the sweet fruit with all the other flavors is wonderful.