Salads in Florence have always been somewhat underrated.
With so many rich traditional dishes, we Florentines have never given them much space. In recent years, however, the trend is to move more and more in the direction of healthy, wholesome and balanced eating. And what better than a salad to eat well and healthy?
In our Florence location we offer modular salads: you can create them yourself according to your taste and hunger! To give you a hand in composing the perfect salad, here are some tips for creating a complete and nutritious one-pot meal.
What should a salad contain?
To be considered a complete and balanced meal, a salad must contain the right mix of nutrients and ingredients.
Here’s how we recommend you compose your salad.
- The basic ingredient is a type of salad or at least a vegetable element. Lettuce, endive, arugula, radicchio, valerian but also spinach or raw kale are perfect as a base. Of course, even better if you mix them together.
- Add raw or cooked vegetables, depending on the season and your taste. You can add virtually any vegetable: carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery, fennel, cucumbers, bell peppers, and any other vegetable that stimulates your appetite and imagination.
- Don’t forget the protein. If you want your salad to be complete, you also need a protein element: it could be meat but also fish, legumes, eggs, or cheese. In the next section we go into a little more detail.
- Dried fruits and seeds can become the crunchy part of your salad. They also bring an extra dose of good fats, protein and fiber. Great are almonds, walnuts and cashews but also pumpkin seeds, chia seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Carbohydrates should also be added to make a one-pot meal that will give you energy throughout the afternoon and not make you hungry shortly after lunch. The best grains to use are rice (also brown, black, or red), barley, millet, and spelt. Alternatively, accompany the salad with a couple of slices of bread or croutons.
- Finally, to bring some more vitamins and minerals to your salad, you could add fresh fruit. Choose it in season because it is richer in beneficial substances, not too soft or ripe but nice and crisp.
You can create your salad in Florence directly at our location or online if you want to have it delivered to your door.
What to put in the salad as a protein?
As we have seen, protein is a key element of a nutritious and complete salad. In fact, protein foods take longer to digest and do not affect blood glucose. In addition, protein has a long-lasting satiating effect.
Here are some animal or vegetable protein ideas to add to your salad.
- Meat, especially white turkey or chicken.
- Fish, for example salmon or tuna but also prawns or swordfish.
- Legumes, all are great for salads. Lentils, chickpeas, beans or green beans, fresh broad beans or soybeans.
- Eggs, usually preferred hard-boiled.
- Cheeses, best to opt for fresh ones such as mozzarella and ricotta.
Instead, avoid sausages or overly fatty meats that will weigh down your salad.
Why especially salads in Florence?
In Florence, salads are not exactly the city dish!
In a city that is world-famous for its rare steak, you wouldn’t think of eating just a salad for lunch.
You may have to think again, however. Here are some good reasons to eat a salad in Florence.
- Practical and quick as a lunch break. You can eat it anywhere, in the office or in a park or in our club if it’s convenient for you. And it’s a quick meal that you can eat without rushing.
- Complete, because you can fill it with anything you like. Not only vegetables, fruits and seeds but also a protein element such as meat or fish. Accompanied with a couple of slices of bread, it is a complete and nutritious meal.
- Versatile. You’ll never get bored because you can create a different one every day. The counter at our Florence location is full of ingredients for salads that are always new, original and colorful.
- Healthy and light. Eating a salad will keep you light and is a very healthy and wholesome meal that you can indulge in anytime, even every day if you feel like it. The ingredients are wholesome and there are no heavy preparations just raw dressing.
- Sustainable. And then there is the eco-sustainable aspect to consider. Everything in our salad bar in Florence is preferably locally sourced and organic and environmentally friendly.
And if these good reasons are not enough for you, come and try our salads in Florence or order them and we will bring them to you wherever you want. And the good reasons will come by themselves!
