Spinach Salad

Alright, I am finally going to start eating better.  My favorite healthy meal is spinach salad.  I try to incorporate as many "Super Foods" as possible into my diet.  A Super Food is a food with lots of nutrients.  Cranberries, walnuts, pecans, and spinach are all superfoods.

I like to add 1/2 cup diced baked Chicken breast to salad because it makes salad more filling.  Sometimes I change up the ingredients, or the dressing so I don't feel like I am constantly eating the same thing.  I have found that the easiest way for me to eat a healthy lunch is to spend 30 minutes on Sunday putting together my lunches for the week.  This works for 2 reasons: I won't run out of time or forget to make lunch the night before, and making 5 lunches ahead of time prevents me from cheating and getting takeout instead.  When I make salads days ahead of time I am careful to separate any ingredients that would make my lunch soggy.  With this salad, I pack the mandarin oranges in a separate baggy, and keep a bottle of dressing in the fridge at work.  If you buy fresh spinach, these salads can be made 4-5 days ahead of time.

You will need:
Pre-washed Baby Spinach
2 tablespoons crumbled Goat, Cheddar or Blue Cheese
1/2 cup diced Quick and Easy Baked Chicken
Low Fat Raspberry Dressing

Plus any of the following:
Craisins
Diced Apple
Mandarin Oranges
Walnuts
Pecans
Caramelized Onions


Step 1:
Place a handful of spinach on a plate or in a plastic container.  Add your favorite toppings.  If you are bringing this to work, put the dressing, oranges and onions in separate plastic bags or containers and add to the salad just before eating.  This will prevent the spinach from getting soggy.