My Mean Green PCOS-friendly salad guide
How do you like your salads? As a side or a main? With fruits? What toppings do you like? Are you partial to the greens or do you need more elements to make it feel less….. well, green?
I went from seeing salads as an inconvenience… to having them as a side to “help” the main attraction of the dish…. to being curious about them and the various ways I could use them to make my life better… to loving them… and now growing them and literally being unable to survive without them!
For PCOS, a balanced plate is critical. So with my salads, I make sure I have a bunch of elements that I will share below. Please note that not all of these have to feature in every plate. But you want to have this in mind; and what do you know, maybe you won’t roll your eyes at having a salad for a meal anymore!
Keep it interesting! A mix of textures give my digestive system a workout - I like to add a bit of crunch with nuts, seeds, croutons and other toppings
Keep it rich! Greens are great as a base, but a girl needs her proteins and omega 3s- steak pieces, prawns, eggs, salmon, chicken…. Should I go on?
Keep it effective! Wanna have the bowels doing what they should be doing? Legumes are a must! Chickpeas, Red kidney beans, black beans etc. Go crazy on fiber. Root vegetables must be a staple. Beets, sweet potatoes, radishes, onions….
Keep it classy! I move it around with the greens. Not every day spinach. Sometimes arugula/rocket, kale, lettuce leaves….
Keep it balanced! Shall I talk about healthy fats without talking about avocados? Will I be me if I didn’t talk about avocados? 😁 Also, my salad dressings heavily feature various types of healthy oils - olive, almond, avocado oil etc.
Keep it fun! Variety especially as the seasons change. So I infuse pumpkin in the salad and fun spices in the dressing during autumn, smokey/spicy elements in the winter, fruit in the spring and summer etc.
Keep it creative! Use a lettuce lead as a wrap. Load it with whatever you have on hand! Drizzle whatever sauces you need. Boom! Handheld salad!
Keep it colourful!
I have curated a simple PDF guide to help you plan your salads with all the right elements and ingredients in mind. It also comes with a smart grocery list of foods to have handy in your pantry and fridge.
Click HERE to download your salad guide and grocery list!
I wanna see YOUR salads and learn tips from you as well. So show me what you’ve been making and what you make using these tips. Tag @livingwithmae on Instagram and let’s trade recipes!