A lot of people tell me that a salad is not a meal. “It goes right through me… I get hungry quickly… It doesn’t make me full.”

To be honest, when I make salads for myself I load them with so many vegetables and fruit (carb) - it’s almost impossible not to be full afterward. I also love playing with flavours and proteins in my salads. I don’t often use feta these days but if I choose cheese it’s more than likely the smooth fat-free cottage cheese from Pick n Pay. At lunchtime, I bulk up my bowl with extra fruits to make sure I get enough carbs and sugar in my meal to keep me going until tea time. 

Salads truly are the best thing in summer and I guarantee that you’ll love the sweetness and saltiness of this one if you make it. 

Ingredients for 1 meal

1 cup cottage cheese (protein)

a small cup of microgreens

1 bag of mixed lettuce 

sliced cucumber (a thumb length's worth)

small bag of sugar snap peas, sliced

2 celery stalks, chopped very finely

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 small avocado, diced

1 tbsp cranberries

1 tsp poppy seeds (carb)

3 tsp almond slivers (fat)

20 grapes halved (carb)

spring onion, chopped finely

2-4 Provita (carb)

1 tbsp Honey and Mustard dressing

Method

1. Arrange lettuce in a large bowl.

2. Sprinkle sugar snap peas, cucumber, tomato, grapes, avocado, and celery atop the lettuce.

3. Dust with poppy seeds, almond slivers, and cranberries.

4. Add the cottage cheese to the middle of the salad and dress with microgreens.

5. Garnish your entire bowl with fresh spring onion and drizzle the dressing on the salad.

6. Serve cold with Provita.