Create Balanced Meals with Power Bowls & Salad Platters

When entertaining this summer, make the ultimate big salad platter or power bowls as part of your feast! Discover the different components that make #theBIGsalad so delicious and enjoy feeling good about feeding your family and friends wholesome dishes that are rich in protein and fresh vegetables!

Large salad platters and power bowls have grown in popularity over the past few years as a quick, fun, and creative way to prepare healthy meals. The best part about serving these larger salads as meals is that they are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like proteins, a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and good fats, making them both filling and energizing. A well prepared salad, presented on a platter or in a large bowl offers an amazing visual presentation and sets the stage for a special social gathering with family and friends. As you start to prepare, you may be wondering how to make them a complete meal and the answer is to ensure that you are balanced with macronutrients.

INTRODUCING MACRONUTRIENTS –

The key to a satisfying meal is to maintain a macronutrient balance between healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Carbs, fats and proteins make a balance meal because of digestion time. Healthy fats and proteins take more time to digest than carbs and that’s why you feel fuller for longer. After eating, glucose, fatty acids, and proteins each send their own signals to the brain telling it to suppress hunger cues and increase fullness cues. “Macros” often refers to the recommended dose one should get in a day depending on their health goals like overall heath, muscle gain, or fat loss. It is important to create foods that are balanced with macronutrients when you make any type of salad platter or a beautiful big power bowl to serve your family or at the next big gathering.

CREATE SATISFYING SALADS –

If you are wondering where to start, take a look through our collection of over 150 salad recipes and be inspired to try something new! They are quick, easy, and convenient and they provide you with tons of good nutrients that are consistent with living a healthy lifestyle. The best part is that they include plenty of fresh greenhouse grown produce that you can enjoy all year-round! Variety is essential to living a flavorful life and being able to choose fresh produce options in any season means that you never have to sacrifice flavor or quality.

As we mentioned before, it’s important to have a healthy balance of the three macronutrients: fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Try the recipes below since they have the ideal ratio of the three macronutrients and use year-round fresh ingredients like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

SWEET CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD

We’ve got the best chicken fajita recipe served on a salad platter! Enjoy the distinct fruity flavor that bursts from each super sweet Cloud 9® bite-sized fruity tomato. This recipe includes chicken for protein, tomatoes and kale for nutritious healthy carbs, and avocado, olive oil, and parmesan cheese for tasty good fats! To add to the sweet southwest flavor, it’s garnished with lime and cilantro. The perfect macro ratio of three for a satisfying meal.

ROASTED REDROYAL® COUSCOUS SALAD

This fresh couscous salad recipe includes roasted RedRoyals® Sweet Cherry Tomatoes On-the-Vine and Poco Bites® Cocktail Cucumbers to round out the fresh Mediterranean flavors. It’s the ideal vegetarian salad power bowl, packed with all the good stuff. Couscous and chickpeas for protein, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers for carbs, and olive oil and feta cheese for fats.

CHOPPED GREEK SALAD PLATTER

Hungry families will enjoy this feast of Greek Salad, as well as the interactive experience of choosing how to build your own salad! It’s high in protein thanks to the chicken, chickpeas, and quinoa. Loaded with the healthy carbs of Mini Cucumbers, Aurora Bites Sweet Peppers and the colorful Sangria® Medley Tomatoes. Also includes delicious feta cheese and a fresh lemon dill vinaigrette for healthy fats.

THINK BIG & GET CREATIVE –

Simply by including the three macronutrients, any salad recipe may be transformed into an excellent power bowl or salad platter. Always include a healthy protein source, nourishing healthy carbohydrates like veggies, and healthy fats, while preparing a meal to ensure that it is fulfilling. Use colorful fruits and vegetables, like our Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers or Sangria® Medley Tomatoes, to add fun and creativity to the dish’s presentation. Having that aesthetic appeal plus the social components of sharing and enjoying a meal together, a well-prepared salad placed on a platter or in a large bowl makes hosting family and friends for lunch or dinner appear exceptional. Balanced meals that contain a carb, protein, and healthy fats are key to obtain better digestion, stable blood sugar, and hormonal health.

So, go make #theBIGsalad and enjoy it with your crew! Serving large salad platers or power bowls filled with a balance of macronutrients and quality fresh greenhouse grown produce will leave you and your guests loving life and ready for more lifestyle inspiration.

For more healthy inspiration check out Summer of Salads or sign up for the Pure Flavor^® monthly newsletter.