Deck Out Your Salads This Holiday Season

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Think green this holiday season--and I mean your Christmas plate, not your Christmas tree. Don’t you think it is time to lighten up with so many people thinking of holiday meals as being fattening? So go ahead and fill your plate as you deck out your buffet table with these festive and calorie forgiving salads. Here are some scrumptious salads from my Fitness Answer Meal Plan:

SHITAKE TUNA SALAD
6 ounce grilled tuna steak over 6 ounces of mesclun lettuce

FOR DRESSING
1/8 cup of finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
¼ cup of shallots
Garlic powder and salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.

SUNDRIED TURKEY TOMATO SALAD
1 6 oz. can of turkey
¼ cup of jarred sundried tomatoes in olive oil
¼ cup of sliced black olives
3 cups of endive salad; cleaned and chopped
2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar

Mix turkey, sundried tomatoes and black olives together in bowl
Serve on top of endive salad and top with 2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar

WARM CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI SALAD
• 8 oz piece of grilled chicken
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets, cleaned and chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes -- cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons black olives; pitted, sliced

Steam broccoli until crisp and tender. Drain. Place broccoli in a saucepan. Add tomato, water, garlic powder, and oregano. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese and olives. Slice chicken and serve warm over broccoli mixture.

CRAB ALMOND SALAD
* 1/2 cup flaked lump crab meat
* 1 hard cooked egg, diced
* 2 cups of romaine lettuce
* 2 tbsp. sliced almonds
* 1 cup finely chopped celery
* 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
* 1 tbsp. olive oil
* 1 cup of romaine lettuce

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Add dressing to crab meat mixture and mix thoroughly. Chill.

PORTOBELLA CHICKEN SALAD
* 2 cups of baby spinach
* 6 oz. chicken breast, diced
* 1 portobello mushroom cap sliced thin
* 1 tbsp. of red pepper spread
* 1 tbsp. of Greek yogurt
* 1 tbsp. of olive oil
* Dash of garlic powder

Place chicken in large skillet and saute in olive oil. When chicken is almost cooked add portobello and saute. Place baby spinach in large bowl. Top with chicken and portobello. Mix yogurt and red pepper spread together. Toss with salad.

Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.

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