The wonderful joys of summer fun: swimming, walking, biking, baseball, soccer, gardening, and the list goes on and on. Who wants to spend a lot of time preparing fresh and healthy meals in a hot kitchen? I do not! So I’ve put together 3 Sugar Lovers Summer Salads (we’ve got to be satisfied to stick with it, right?) that will have you happy and out of the kitchen in no time.
My best hack for those hot summer days is to prepare everything in the morning while it’s still cool, and then enjoy the good weather of your good food for the rest of the day. I call that win-win.
Here are 3 that I think you would enjoy.
Carrot and Corn Salad
1/2 cup sour cream (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of sugar or Stevia equivalent
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
16 oz. fresh or frozen corn
4 carrots, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, chopped
Combine first 4 ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste. Then add your vegetables and chill for 2 hours.
You can vary your vegetables as your garden produces new offerings. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Note: If using fat-free or low-fat, keep an eye on “wateriness” once it sits for a while. Just drain the excess water and then stir, it will be fine.
Grandma’s Salad for Sugar Hunters
3 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled and diced
2 stalks of celery
1 carrot
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
fresh green lettuce leaves (no iceberg lettuce please)
Mix it all up with this Yogurt Dressing (or experiment with your own dressings)
Dressing room:
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 T. Honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Mix well. For the previous mix. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to chill. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.
Orange Kiwi Salad
1 romaine lettuce, torn
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced
11 ounce can tangerines, drained
1 large red onion, sliced
3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Optional: croutons or Chinese noodles
Combine them all together and then mix them with this dressing or any of your own:
Dressing room:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar-free orange marmalade
salt and pepper to taste
Mix and shake well. You will get about 1 1/3 cup yield from this recipe. I don’t normally use all of it. I stretch it out for 2 lunch salads. That is enough for me. You decide what is right for you.
Many sugar lovers find that summer salads are THE way to go to keep them satisfied during the hot summer months. They experiment with new flavors and enjoy delicious combinations that they have never tried before. Keep it interesting and away from the ice cream stand. They don’t try to make them as low in calories as possible. Including your essential oils in your summer salads is a great way to stay satisfied and keep those sugar cravings at bay.
