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easy dinner salad with chicken apples and more
July 17, 2018

Hot Weather = Cool Salads

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It’s hot here – and that calls for cool salads for dinner. We had some leftover grilled chicken and random other stuff in the fridge to use up, so last night for dinner I threw together some easy salads for us.

When building a salad, make sure you have protein, carbs, and fat in addition to the veggies – that will make sure you are building a salad that will keep you satisfied! I see a lot of people skipping carbs when having a salad, and without the carbs you’ll be hungry again pretty quickly. Usually I put grains on salads as you guys know (see also: grain salad bowl recipes – such an awesome easy packed lunch or dinner), but last night I thought we’d mix it up with some fruit! Here’s what I threw together:

  • Protein: chicken + beans (chickpeas and kidney beans – we had some left over)
  • Fat: sprouted pumpkin seeds + avocado + oil from dressing (I made a homemade vinaigrette with equal parts lemon juice and olive oil, plus a splash of red wine vinegar and a squirt of dijon mustard)
  • Veg/fruit for volume and fiber: arugula + cucumber + cherry tomatoes + apples

I also had some unpictured crackers while making the salad – without those I might have needed a little more carb action (like rice) on the salad for it to be filling/satisfying enough.

As for this morning, I started my day with some zen and met my friend Chelsea for an early a.m. yoga class.

I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t been doing much yoga lately (I finally made it to yoga again last week, but the month before I didn’t really go at all), or because of general postpartum-ness and hormones, or because I’m carrying around a heavy baby a lot, but I am SO stiff and tight. I want to start making yoga a priority again at least once a week because it feels so good both physically and mentally.

I’m off to tackle more of my to do list, and then later today I’m looking forward to a mastermind meeting with a handful of other intuitive eating dietitians in the DC area. We’re going to start meeting every other month or so to discuss client work, do case studies, etc. There’s always more to learn, so I’m sure it will be really helpful!

Have a nice day guys!

- anne
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12 comments
  • Beth July 17, 2018 · 12:29PM:
    Completely agree about the salads, especially in the summer! Last week I was loving my lunch - romaine, black beans, corn shucked from the cob, cheddar cheese, avocado, homemade croutons with chipotle ranch dressing. This week is romaine, spinach, mozzarella balls, brown rice/quinoa mix, hardboiled egg, roasted mushrooms and broccoli, homemade croutons (need that crunch) and a vinaigrette.
    Reply
    • Anne
      July 17, 2018 · 2:47PM:
      Mmm both of those sound awesome! And totally agree on the crunch!
      Reply
  • Kris S July 17, 2018 · 1:00PM:
    Yay for yoga! Do it >:) I've been really inactive lately due to injuries but yoga 1-2x per week is saving my sanity and my back. I'm really happy/lucky I found a studio with unheated vinyasa a few blocks from my apartment. I'm sending you good yoga vibes ;)
    Reply
    • Anne
      July 17, 2018 · 2:47PM:
      Thanks friend! I'm so glad you found a great studio near you!
      Reply
  • Rachel
    July 17, 2018 · 1:44PM:
    I love salads in the summer! I especially love chopping my salad. I don't know why, but it somehow tastes more delicious if I chop it after putting all the ingredients in. Good for you for getting back into yoga! It's tough when you haven't been in a while, but I'm sure if you start going consistently again, the flexibility will come back quickly.
    Reply
    • Anne
      July 17, 2018 · 2:48PM:
      Many people apparently agree with you considering how popular the salad place Chop't is! :)
      Reply
  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork
    July 18, 2018 · 10:40AM:
    Hot nights here mean salad, smoothies, or cereal! It's hard to adapt the salad for our 26 month old--we'll give her a few different veggies, but usually give her a PB&J or turkey and cheese sandwich as the main meal. Smoothies or cereal for all of us works. And holy yes, do kiddos make your body stiff! Especially where you're still breastfeeding--I remember I had what I called "breastfeeding back" and now I have "thirty pound toddler shoulder." ;-) With less time to work out than before kids, it's tough to stay limber, but I oh so enjoy the stretch at the end of a workout or a good yoga session.
    Reply
    • Anne
      July 19, 2018 · 9:28AM:
      Lol yep I'm sure "toddler shoulder" is coming soon for me... yikes! Breastfeeding back is totally a thing!
      Reply
  • Roadrunner July 18, 2018 · 7:43PM:
    Good to see you able to get back to working flexibility/mobility. Few aspects of fitness are as important as staying limber.
    Reply
    • Anne
      July 19, 2018 · 9:34AM:
      Very true!
      Reply
  • Nicole @ Laughing My Abs Off
    July 19, 2018 · 10:48AM:
    Ooh I totally forgot about putting apples in salads!! It's so good, especially with a honey dijon dressing!
    Reply
    • Anne
      July 19, 2018 · 1:37PM:
      Yum, that sounds good!
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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