Rosalee Brown

The Christmas dinner and other festive meals are over and you have enjoyed some wonderful meals. I hope you have not over consumed. It can be very difficult to consume the same amount of calories as you normally would, as the opportunities for eating are much more and the festive meals are brimming with flavour and calories. If you are panicking that you may have overdone it and may gain some unwanted pounds, you may be able to make a quick come- back if you act fast.

You may still have some pieces of turkey, ham or other meats in the freezer. A perfect way to continue enjoying those flavours with fewer calories is with hearty salads. You can prevent monotony by making different ones often, using different types of protein and carbohydrate in the salad.

Below are two of my favourites.

Salad ideas

A chicken Caesar salad garnished with tomatoes. - File

Large amounts of open-leaf lettuce torn in small pieces

Shredded green cabbage

Watercress

Cucumber deseeded and sliced thinly

Slivered carrots

Fuji apples cut in thin wedges

Purple onion cut in thin rings

Slivered almonds

Sharp cheese, cubed

Balsamic, olive oil and garlic dressing

Lettuce torn in small pieces

Shredded purple cabbage

Tomato wedges

Celery slices

Fuji apple wedges

Scallion circles

Chicken breast/ham strips or cubes

A great product now available on the market called salad topping 'garden vegetable', made from sunflower seeds and dehydrated herbs and a variety of vegetables, is a perfect addition to most fresh salads.

Complete your salad with low-fat ranch dressing and a serving of your favourite starch. My starch is three tough crackers or six cream crackers.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/ nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services. Email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com