Salad for Breakfast

Looking for alternatives to the sugar spiking sweetness of a morning pastry? Want more energy and fullness for more than two hours? Try eating a salad for breakfast. Before you snicker, think about what you normally eat. Does your morning physical and/or mental activity require a sharp mind and energized body? If your morning meal is not meeting your needs, perhaps you should experiment with a breakfast salad.

In Christopher McDougall’s book, Born to Run, the author seeks out nutritional advice from Dr. Ruth Heidrich in preparation for a long endurance run. Dr. Heidrich suggests salads in the morning help your body re-hydrate after a night’s sleep. It can provide an extensive supply of antioxidants and makes a sizable dent in the day’s veggie requirements. It offers slow burning carbohydrates which are great to sustain you through your morning activities.

How do I do it? Variety is one of the joys of this breakfast. One morning, I used half a container of spring mix, a small amount of leftover quinoa, leftover roasted cauliflower, a small handful of golden raisins and almond slivers and dressed it with olive oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper. To keep preparation to a minimum, choose only a few vegetables to chop up. I also like to keep my pantry stocked with an assortment of flavor enhancers, like seeds, nuts, and vinegar's to change the flavor experience.

Give it a try. I have enjoyed the energy and lightness I feel from a creative, tasty breakfast salad. If you were to start your day with a colorful, healthy, nutritious breakfast salad, what’s the best thing that might happen?