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Salads to suit the Summer!

A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are often dressed, and typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. In ancient Egypt, lettuce was sacred to the fertility god Min and considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac. The first representation of salad appeared in paintings on Egyptian tombs in 4500 BC. Lettuce was first eaten by the ancient kings of Persia 2,500 years ago. Back in the early salad eating days (circa 1st century CE), ancient Greeks and Romans gathered and layered raw vegetables, drizzling vinegar, oil, and herbs over top to create the world’s first salad. However, not all salads are healthy or nutritious. It depends on what is in the salad. It is OK to add small amounts of dressing and toppings, however, if you overdo it with high-fat or high-sugar add-ins, your salad may cause you to exceed your daily calorie needs and contribute to weight gain.

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The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert. Eating a salad a day is a great way to make sure your brain stays in tip-top shape. In fact, a 2017 study found that eating one daily improved the memory of elderly people by as much as 11 years. Even just half a cup of salad was enough to slow the rate of cognitive decline. The word “salad” comes from the ancient Latin word “sal” for “salt”. In ancient times, salt was an important ingredient in dressing. You might be surprised to learn that ancient Romans and Greeks enjoyed raw vegetables with dressing. Typically, the vegetables would be dressed with vinegar, oil, herbs, and salt. Talking about a few of the many lettuce varieties, the four types are generally sold: Iceberg, Butterhead, Romaine, and Leaf. Iceberg – lettuce is by far the major type. Heads are large, round and solid, with outer leaves medium-green. Inner leaves are a lighter green.

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While some people also say that all salads are not in the healthy category, since dressings are usually laden with sugar and filled with preservatives and unhealthy fat, and too often salads have additives like noodles, fried ingredients, taco chips, or dried fruits. Often in restaurants salads are just a bunch of unhealthy ingredients assembled together — think taco salad. Besides the many advantages of salads they are also good for our skin, Nutrients in salad help synthesize collagen, provide natural sun protective effects, protect against wrinkling and sagging of skin, can improve dark under-eye circles, and make skin smoother. If losing weight is your goal, you may want to start your meals with a green salad. Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green salad of 150 calories or less, enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the total number of calories eaten during the meal.

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A common query often asked is that can salads be eaten at night time as well, Besides, lettuce is filled with lactucarium which has sedative properties. It soothes the body and helps it to get relaxing sleep for the night. Moreover, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and mustard greens are great sources of calcium to add to your salads. Egyptians were one of the first to use dressing on their greens. They enjoyed their salads with a mix of oil, vinegar, wine, and oriental spices. Babylonians, however, enjoyed theirs with only oil and vinegar. Romans and Greeks caught on quickly and began eating their vegetables with olive oil, vinegar, wine, and honey.

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Here are a few easy-to-toss and relish salad recipes this Summer!

Recipe-1] CHEF’S SPECIAL CHICKEN SALAD

Recipe-2] FRUITY FILLER SALAD

Recipe-3] PASTA VEGGIE SALAD

Recipe-4] OVEN BAKED CHICKEN AVOCADO SALAD PLATTER

Recipe-5] HEARTY BOWL SALAD

Recipe-6] SPRING TIME DELIGHT SALAD

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