With summer here right now, it’s time to get in shape and eat more healthily.
I love the texture and flavour that grains and pulses provide, I Iike to add them to salads to mix things up a bit.
High in soluble and insoluble fibre, protein and nutrients, you can’t help but feel good! The bonus is, grains and pulses increase satiety levels which ultimately stabilizes blood sugar and weight. A must for a low GI lifestyle.
I often get requests on how to incorporate lentils, barley, chickpeas, bulgar wheat and quinoa in cooking and salads.
So, I give you my favourite belly filling, uber nutritious salads. All these salads can be served warm, room temperature or chilled.
They can last in the fridge for up to 3 days – the longer they stand, the better the flavour becomes. They’re also divine with wraps or as accompaniments to poolside braais. Great for the lunch box too!
5 feel good salads:
Lush lentil salad with butternut, baby beetroot and goat’s cheese with homemade harissa dressing – Ultimate yum!
Barley and chickpea salad with roasted veggies – Think coriander pesto, lemon, Danish feta. It’s a party in your mouth!
Quinoa salad with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with spicy citrus dressing: Try something different. Earthy roasted cauliflower is a must try and this combination is insane.
Chicken quinoa salad with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs: This is quite a festive little salad. Great flavours and textures going on and makes for a lovely wrap filling too 😉
Tabbouleh and grilled chicken salad: Bulgar wheat with crisp greek style salad ingredients. Refreshing and delicious. Another great wrap filling too.
What is bulgar wheat?
It is a whole wheat grain that has been cracked or partially cooked. Excellent source of fibre. Not gluten free.
What is quinoa?
Considered to be a wholegrain but it’s actually a seed. It is very high in protein with all 9 essential amino acids – so a good grain to eat for vegetarians and vegans. It’s gluten free!
What is barley?
A whole grain with a very good source of fibre and protein. It is not gluten free. Most common source available in stores is pearl barley – it cooks quicker than whole or unhulled barley. Barley is used in the fermentation process for beer.
Article and recipes by Carey Boucher Erasmus. Twitter: @bitsofcarey Website bitsofcarey.co.za