The DIY Diet

Chicken salad is one of my favorite low calorie lunches and ever since I ran across the 7-oz. vacuum-packed, foil packages of 100% natural white meat chicken by Valley Fresh in my local grocery store, I keep it on hand for quick, last-minute meals when I don’t feel like roasting my own chicken or picking apart a super market roasted chicken.

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It’s so easy to pair this side salad with virtually any meal as long as you know how many calories it contains.

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Fresh fruit is always a good choice. When the best seasonal fruits are combined into a compote, the taste is divine, and it makes a wonderful side dish to most any main dish entrée. Here’s my favorite recipe for fruit salad.

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I was served a citrus vinaigrette similar to this one when I had lunch at the Nokomis Restaurant and Bar in Duluth, Minnesota when I was traveling to Grand Marais to attend a class at the North House Folk School.

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The Classic Vinegar-Oil Dressing can be tossed with salad greens or used on raw or cooked vegetables. It’s very tasty on the All-Purpose Side Salad or Dinner Salad.

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My friend, Thuý, has introduced me to many delicious Vietnamese foods over the many years since I’ve known her.

Pair this with my All-Purpose Side Salad, and you have a nice addition to a meal that is not only healthful but very tasty. Here is her recipe for Vinegar Oil Dressing.

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This salad is one of my favorite lunch or dinner meals. You can modify the salad to suit the vegetables you have in you refrigerator. You can supplement it with other foods to make it a 500-calorie lunch or a 600 to 700-calorie supper meal. You can vary the dressing.

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