“Someone once told me the grass was much greener, on the other side… From where I’m standing, my grass is green” -Macy Gray

I never can pass a plate, bowl, or shreds of greens at any point.
You see, I’ve grown up eating salad and fruits after lunch, dinner or in between, and my favorite despite my sweet tooth had always been vegetables. Now, as an unwilling adult, I realize not just do I like it, I crave it even after eating it, just like I crave rice (if you know me, you know me and rice).

Salad is a very refreshing meal on its own, and it has the advantages of different nutrients intake from the regular nutrients we binge eat, such as carbs. Salad greens contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, folate, fiber, and phytonutrients. Making it a good choice for a healthful diet because there is the absence of cholesterol and it is naturally low in calories and sodium.

I make my salad often, but once in a while, I don’t mind being served. I like it mostly with oil or vinegar dressing (I make mine at home when I make salad), but on days I want to be served, I like the creamy dressing, and I need it to be worth it.

So, here are top salad choices that couldn’t go wrong anywhere:
1.chicken salad: So long as the chicken is in good ratio to the vegetable and marinated well, you’d like seconds or thirds. The dressing comes with a tang of mustard, which I believe is the secret to great salad dressing. 

2. salsa salad: the quickest and easier salad to make. All you need is tomato, cucumber, onion, and a little parsley. Dice them up and mix with a vinaigrette dressing. I like to use this on the side of my jollof rice, or i could be used as a dip to spice up my munchies.

3. pineapple salad: oh its nothing. Just toss some diced pineapple in any regular salad to give it that exotic taste. Pizza shouldn’t have all the toppings. Fun!

4. asian bowl salad: This flavor-packed Asian Chopped Salad combines cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, sugar, almonds, green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro, all tossed in a sesame ginger salad dressing.

5. kimchi: I remember the first time i had Kimchi (a Korean side dish). I went to visit a friend and as tradition, food is always served with tea. Me being an adventurous person when it comes to food, i was excited despite warning that it is not a taste i can imagine. Well, first taste and i was in love. I put kimchi on the plives and pickles box taste. That sour salty taste is forever engraved in my memory. I really love this fermented jar of vegetables.

But personally, I have tried to avoid these over time:

1. Coleslaw: Please miss me with all that cholesterol, please. Might be good at an event, but I don’t need it near my plate. Too much cream, too much sugar. Defeats the vegetable intake, again, personally.

2. Ceaser salad: just no, you can’t have ceaser salad in top restaurants and what gets presented in the bowl is lettuce, croutons, apples and chicken, if lucky parmesean cheese and for that amount? No! Abuja restaurants, do better.

Boy, do I call them out. I won’t be guilt tripped into thinking their dressing is the best thing. Please, I’ve had better, and dressing isn’t what I consider salad.

For salad lovers, there are different places to have salad in Abuja, but places like So Fresh and Maubbys do it differently by having a salad bar that gets you to choose and make your salad from options displayed. You also choose toppings to go with. It’s like an ice cream parlor but for salad lovers.

So dear reader, what do you consider great salad?
What is your favorite salad?
And how do you handle bad salad experiences when dining out?  

Don’t forget…

cheers to the soft life 🥂💅