packed lunches: on a salad kick

I vowed to myself last year that this current year, I would bring packed lunches every day (except for special occasions like 'monthly bagel bar!' or 'it's friday! i'm treating myself!") See, the thing is, I'm kind of picky about packed lunches. And the act of packing them is always annoying. Therefore,  I like to keep it simple, and definitely not hot - unless it's soup in an ultra-sealed camping performance thermos. I don't know what it is, but heating up stuff in microwaves kind of skeeves me out - especially communal microwaves.

This week, out of the blue, I got into the idea of salads. And what kind of salad is better than a photogenic salad?

I am a big believer that a good salad needs a crunch, a smooth texture, and a punchy dressing. I love walnuts and almond slices in my salad, and a nice light cheese (lately it's feta) always adds an extra taste. My dressing of choice has been a concoction I made up: balsamic and a strawberry pecan (fat-free!) dressing.

So, I think this salad is 100% fat free, unless - wait, the cheese - but hey, it's still a salad. That has to count for something.

Ingredients
50/50 spring mix and spinach
sliced strawberries
clementine or orange
walnuts, almonds or some sort of nut
crumbled feta cheese
craisins
balasmic
Ken's strawberry pecan dressing


This has turned into my favorite portable go-to.

ciao! xo