6 salads to bump up your vegie intake

It's no secret that we love vegetables and salads.

It's recommended that adults eat on average 5-6 serves** of vegetables EACH DAY.

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And guess what? The most recent data tells us that only 6% of adults eat enough fruit and veg. Yikes.

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Well, we are here to help.

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Try some of our tasty recipes that you can tack on as a side dish to your main meal.

You will be more likely to reach 5 serves of veg / salad if you include them at least in 2 meals or snacks.

The six recipes you need

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1. Creamy mustard fennel slaw

2. Herbed Chinese cabbage salad

3. Greens with tahini dressing

4. Coleslaw

5. Simple garden salad

6. Chickpea and millet salad with tahini yoghurt dressing

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(...and they all happen to be low FODMAP....)

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Creamy mustard fennel slaw

Makes 4 side serves

Ingredients:

·        ¼ cup plain Greek yoghurt

·        2 tbsp of whole egg mayo

·        1 tsp of Dijon mustard

·        Juice and rind of 1 lemon

·        1 fennel bulb, leaves reserved, halved and thinly sliced

·        2 carrots, grated

·        ¼ of a Chinese cabbage / wombok

·        2 spring onions (green part only) finely sliced

·        Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.      To make the dressing, combine yoghurt, mayo, mustard, lemon juice and rind in a small bowl.

2.      Season with salt and pepper.

3.      Place the fennel, carrot, cabbage and spring onion in a bowl.

4.      Coarsely chop the reserved fennel leaves and add to the bowl, mixing through.

5.      Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.

Herbed Chinese cabbage salad

Makes 4-6 side serves

Ingredients:

·        2 tbsp of lime juice

·        1.5 tbsp of soy sauce

·        2 tsp of sesame oil

·        2 tsp of brown sugar

·        ½ Chinese cabbage / wombok, finely sliced

·        2 carrots, spiralised (grated works well too)

·        1 small red capsicum

·        4 spring onions, green tops only, finely sliced

·        1 cup of mint and coriander, finely sliced

Method:

1.      Place lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves.

2.      Prepare the vegetables and place in a large bowl, mix to combine.

3.      Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Serving suggestions:

·        Add 1-2 cups to 1 cup of cooked soba noodles and a tin of edamame beans. Top with 1 tbsp of sesame seeds.

·        Take 1-2 cups to work and serve for lunch with a tin of tuna in olive oil or spring water + a brown rice cup.

·        Prepare rice noodles, top with 1-2 cups of salad and some shredded chicken + pine nuts.

Greens with tahini dressing

Makes 4 side servings

Ingredients:

·        4 cups of green beans (500g), ends removed and halved

·        1 medium zucchini, sliced into batons

·        2 x 125g tins of edamame beans (Edgells’)

·        100g spinach

·        2 tbsp of garlic infused olive oil

·        2 tbsp of EVOO

·        2 tbsp of lemon juice

·        2 tbsp of Tahini

·        1/3 cup Greek yoghurt

·        Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.       Drizzle EVOO in a large pan and heat to a medium – high heat.

2.       Cook green beans and zucchini batons until lightly charred and tender.

3.       Cook spinach until wilted, about 1 minute.

4.       Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic infused olive oil, Greek yoghurt, salt and pepper to taste. Thin out with water if required to your desired consistency.

5.       Serve the charred greens evenly between plates, top with edamame beans and drizzle with dressing. Enjoy with your favourite protein such as pan-fried salmon.

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Coleslaw

Makes 4 - 6 side serves

Ingredients:

·        ½ a small red cabbage, core removed and finely sliced

·        3 carrots, grated

·        1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

·        ¼ cup plain Greek yoghurt

·        ¼ cup mayonnaise

·        2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

·        1 tbsp of Dijon mustard

·        Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.      Mix together the yoghurt, mayo, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

2.      Prepare vegetables and place in a large bowl, tossing to combine.

3.      Pour over dressing and toss to combine.

4.      Serve with your favourite protein to make a complete meal.

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Simple garden salad

Makes 4 side servings

Ingredients:

·        1 iceberg lettuce (or other variety of your choice)

·        2 grated carrots

·        1 punnet of cherry tomatoes

·        1 cucumber, diced

·        2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

·        2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

·        Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.      Prepare salad vegetables and place in a large bowl.

2.      Pour over olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.

3.      Toss to combine.

4.      Serve with some lean protein and a small baked potato.

Chickpea and millet salad with tahini yoghurt dressing

Makes 6-8 side serves or 4 main serves

Ingredients:

·        ½ cup raw millet (1 cup of water for cooking)

·        400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

·        1 x 250g punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved

·        100g bag of spinach and rocket

·        2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds

·        2 tbsp of sunflower seeds

·        1 tbsp of olive oil

·        1 tbsp of garlic infused olive oil

·        ¼ cup tahini

·        ¼ cup yoghurt

·        ¼ cup lemon juice

·        2 tbsp of water

·        Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.      Prepare millet according to packet directions.

2.      Place tahini, yoghurt, lemon juice, water and oils in a small jar or container and shake to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3.      Mix chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach and rocket together in a bowl.

4.      Divide the millet up into the desired number of serves across serving plates or in containers for meal prep.

5.      Evenly divide the salad mixture and seeds across servings and drizzle with dressing when ready to serve.

Tips:

·        If taking leftovers for lunch the next day, place the dressing in a small container to stir through fresh on the day. This will stop the salad going soggy.

·        Add 100g of your desired protein to serve this salad as a side dish.

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**A 'serve' of veg

1/2 cup cooked vegies (like broccoli / pumpkin)

1 cup green leafy or raw, salad vegetables

1/2 medium potato

1 medium tomato

1/2 cup cooked, dried or canned beans, peas or lentils