It’s one of the dirty secrets of the fast-food and fast-casual industry that salads aren’t really healthy when you eat them at these joints. But then the Sweetgreen brand comes along, and that maxim is no longer really true. Here, the concept is that food can be prepared quickly and taste good, just like any other fast food. But it can also be healthy, and they can even feature ingredients supplied by local farmers.
Sweetgreen started out in 2007 with a bunch of Georgetown students who were sick and tired of the campus food offerings. They wanted fast food that was both delicious and healthy. They started out small, even hosting taste tests in their dorm room.
Now they’re running a billion-dollar enterprise, with more than locations spread out across the country. Part of the reason for this valuation is that each location is extremely popular, as the salads here are just amazing. They’re delicious, yet you can get a salad for under $15.
In fact, your own homemade salads may not compare. But you can actually make salads that are about as good as the ones they prepare in Sweetgreen. And these tips won’t cost you a ton of money, so you can still end up with affordable salads that also taste delicious and are still healthy for you.
Go with In-Season Fruits and Veggies
This is what they do in Sweetgreen, and in just about every good salad shop in the country. Stick to the in-season fruits and vegetables so you know that they’re always fresh. Get them from your local farmers, just like Sweetgreen does. You’re also doing your part to boost your neighborhood economy.
Also, focusing mainly on in-season fruits and veggies means you’re getting a nice variety of salads to try out. you’re not eating the same greens again and again, all year long. That can be boring, and boredom is the enemy when it comes to enjoying your food. It’s hard enough to be really excited to eat a salad, as it’s not like enjoying your absolutely favorite pizza or cheeseburger. But if you’re eating the same salad day in and day out, it becomes a terrible chore.
Check out this USDA guide so you can plan your salad recipes accordingly. Each season gives you plenty of in-season fruits and vegetables to work with.
Give Your Kale Some TLC
How do you prepare kale properly? It starts with massaging your kale. This isn’t really a widely-known fact, and that’s why so many people absolutely hate preparing and eating kale. They end up with salads that seems like the content came from a paper shredder, and they’re bitter to boot. You’ll force yourself to eat these salads even though they taste atrocious.
But it’s much better if you massage your kale. To do this, add a pinch of salt along with some vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. Then crunch them between your hands until they begin to wilt. This process will absolutely make your kale (and your salads with kale) better.
Go with Contrasting Textures
Have you ever tried the “notorious” kale Caesar salad at Sweetgreen? It’s great not just because the kale was edible. It was great also because of the texture. Each bite gets you that the light but crunchy kale, the parmesan crisps, and the soft roasted sweet potatoes. Each bite is just wonderful.
You should add just a bit of crunch to your salad, and it’s more than just putting in a few croutons to the mix. Try out other potential ingredients to enhance the texture and taste. You can go with toasted chickpeas, various crunchy veggies, dried fruits, seeds, and nuts. Of course, you can also add some parmesan crisps.
You can then contrast these crunchy ingredients with food that have a softer texture. These include caramelized onions, avocado, roasted potatoes, and hardboiled eggs.
Cut The Ingredients to Similar Sizes
This seems an obvious tactic, unless you never thought of it before. It can be really frustrating when you dip your fork deep into your salad bowl full of different ingredients and varying texture, and then your fork just gets a single shred of kale.
What you want is a forkful of different stuff that makes each bite a wonder. And to get that result, you need to make sure your ingredients are similarly small in size. While you can do this the old-fashioned way, you can get some salad cutter bowl that lets you do this a lot more easily.
Try New Seasonings and Dressings
Again, it’s all about variety to keep boredom from setting in. Try to make a new homemade dressing, using a recipe you find online. Or you can just get a new dressing from your local grocery store.
Also, don’t forget the seasonings before dressing the salad. You need salt and pepper to start with, and then you can experiment with some other seasoning that you might be interested in. Check out the various online recipes to see which seasoning combos might work for your salads.
With these tips, you just might make your own salads that can be as good as what you get from Sweetgreen!
