Spinach Salad with Apples & Blueberries

I gained so much weight this past Summer and I have no one to blame but myself. I am usually a cook at home and bag my lunch kind of girl, but in the Summer I dine out more. Well this past Summer I pretty much ate all of my meals out of the house almost everyday, and it wasn’t always healthy choices. Quesadillas, empanadas, pizza and movie theater popcorn will eventually catch up to you. Oh and let’s not forget the cocktails which add on a bunch of empty calories. When I went to try on my Fall clothes half of them did not fit and when I went to buy new clothes I noticed that I was slipping into the double digits, a size 10. I’ve just become comfortable with a size 8 after being a 6 for so long so a 10 is a no go for me. I had to take action fast. I am now not only eating most of my meals at home again, but trying to eat healthier overall. This includes adding more fresh fruits and veggies to my diet. A perfect way to do this is to try to incorporate a salad into your diet at least once a day, and include both fruits and veggies. Kill two birds with one stone. Here is my latest creation, a fresh spinach salad with Macintosh apple slices and blueberries. This has become my new favorite salad.

What you will need…

Fresh spinach or baby spinach leaves ( the bagged variety is fine)

one whole apple, cored and sliced

a handful of fresh blueberries

about 8 hothouse cucumber slices

3 shredded baby peeled carrots

a sprinkle of shredded sharp cheddar

a few croutons

balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Preparation…

Wash the spinach thoroughly in warm water and dry. Slice the apples and cumbers then rinse well along with the carrots and blueberries. Place the spinach, apples and cucumbers in a bowl and shred the carrots on top.

Add the handful of blueberries and cheese…

Add all of the ingredients to a larger bowl and toss with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Put the salad back into the serving bowl, top with croutons and enjoy.

This salad was so deelish and filling. I usually use spinach in my salad instead of lettuce because it fills you up more and is a healthier choice. The fresh fruit really helped to liven up a regular salad. I can eat one of these babies everyday for sure!

A lot of you always ask what is my work out routine to maintain my figure. Well I don’t have one, not exactly. I don’t really have time for the gym so I occasionally do my Wii Fit Plus routine that I’ve set up, but I haven’t been consistent. Well that is going to change as well. Along with eating better, I plan to start back on my workout routine. I could use to lose at least 5 pounds and from there I would like to tone up and maintain my weight. I am 5’5″ and my max weight that I feel comfortable at is around 150 lbs. You may think that’s too much but I enjoy my curves and I don’t like to be too thin. I am at least 155  lbs right now and maybe slightly more 154 lbs so I have to get the ball rolling ASAP. That is another post in itself  so on that note, I will keep you guys updated.

So what’s your favorite salad?