I created this Italian-inspired salad one day for lunch with refrigerator staples, then realized it was many of my favorite foods. If you’ve read my Island Foods post you know how much I love olives, tomatoes and vinegar! My Island Foods Other ingredients that are my favorites include lettuce, Cannellini beans, Peppers (especially banana peppers!) and feta cheese. So putting them all together for this salad was a win, and most days this is what I eat for a quick lunch, alongside a slice of homemade bread.
While I have always loved beans, I recently became aware that they are a longevity food. The people that live in the Blue Zones of the world have been found to live longer than others. When they studied their diets they discovered that Blue Zones residents typically eat beans every day. So keeping beans on hand and adding handfuls to your salads is a great way to get their benefit and improve your health. (Read more about the Blue Zones at www.Bluezones.com.
The great thing about making a lunch salad is you can add whatever you have available in your garden or refrigerator. I usually always have the ingredients for this version, but if you don’t, just start with a base of lettuce and throw in what you do have. That’s the beauty of a build your bowl lunch! Also, if you get used to eating a healthy salad in the middle of the day (instead of the typical sandwich) it will help you to remember to stock your house with the foods you love. I love Italian–so this salad profile has many Italian inspired Ingredients. Enjoy!
