Spinach, Feta and Strawberry Salad

Salads are healthy. That statement, for the most part its true. But you have to look at the ingredients to get the true picture. Then, well, there’s the dressing, and that’s a whole different subject. When it comes to salads I’ve always felt More is better. The More being ingredients. But, it turns out, that’s not always the case. Here, well, less is better, only three ingredients, so it’s simple. So this post is for a simple, tasty salad that can be paired with many dishes, or add your favorite protein, like chicken breast or fish . Here is Spinach, Feta and Strawberry salad

Salads

As I had mentioned, when it comes to salads, I always felt, more is better. But there’s a problem with that. More ingredients requires more prep, means more time to prep, and more ingredients, well relates to a higher cost. Sometimes, quick, easy and cheap is required. Well this particular salad is quick, easy, cheap, AND has great taste. All with just three ingredients.

Spinach

So, we start with spinach. Well, I don’t think I have to get into too much detail about the benefits of spinach. It is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin K, Iron and Manganese just to mention a few. There are many ways to incorporate it into a balanced diet, check Spinach Feta Chicken Roll as an example. But in a salad it really work best. A 5oz bag of Baby Spinach is about all you’ll need

Feta

Then we move on to Feta. This is a cheese that has been produced for thousands of years, using primarily sheep’s milk with up to 30% goats milk. Interestingly enough, in Europe the name is actually protected. Under European law, true Feta can only come from specific locations and have specific ingredients. I like it as a cheese, it has a creamy crumbly texture, with a salty flavor. From a nutritional point. It’s high in Calcium, Phosphorus, and is slightly lower in fat than some other cheeses. However, it’s high in Sodium. You can have it as part of your diet, just watch your intake. Moderation is the key. So, a 4oz container of crumbled Feta is enough for this salad.

Strawberries

Now for the strawberries. Well, I love them. Fresh fruit is good for you. It’s interesting the way they interact with the other ingredients. I had mentioned earlier about salad dressings. They can take a healthy salad and make it, well, unhealthy, you definitely have to monitor use. However there is a need for the dressing, as a flavor component and to bring everything together. Well, this is what the strawberries do. They add a little bite that a salad dressing would and they also add a flavor component that a salad dressing would. And, they’re healthy. Grab a pint of them, cut them in half, or quarters, depending on size.

That’s it. Spinach, feta and Strawberry salad. The hardest part of the whole thing is cutting up the strawberries. Just check the spinach bag, most are washed, but it always helps to check. Read this post for more information. Put everything in a bowl, mix it up, put it on the table and enjoy. And, thank you for reading