Strawberry and Citrus Salad with Avocado

As registered dietitians and personal trainers, people frequently ask us if we live on salads. Umm, NO! Although we love a good salad, we certainly don’t live on them! In fact, we tend to eat a lot more of veggies that we’ve mixed right into our meals then in the “salad” form. Plus we’re fans of a wide variety of foods, and include them in our diet—everything from all different types of produce, to whole grains, organic dairy foods, seafood, chicken, beans, nuts… and chocolate, just to name a few. 😉

That being said, we always encourage our clients to fill up on vegetables like salads before a meal (and we too do this whenever we can!). This is a great weight loss secret. Eating a salad or veggies before having your meal takes an edge of hunger and can greatly reduce calorie intake of your meal. Although the salad or veggies adds a few calories, you’ll typically end up eating significantly less of your main meal and saving many more calories than your veggie appetizer adds! Try filling up on a salad or veggies before your meal and see!

And for more veggie appetizers to try to cut down on the calories you consume during your meal, try these (or many of the other recipes we have on our blog):

Egg and Spinach Avocado Soup (Research shows that low-calorie veggie-based soups are particularly good at helping to curb calorie intake at the meal)
Crunchy Waldorf Salad
Mediterranean Lettuce Cups

Aside from weight loss, this Strawberry and Citrus Salad with Avocado is great for nourishing your skin from the inside out with vitamins that will not only give you a vibrant, healthy glow, but also protect you from the sun’s damaging rays.

Here’s how it works its’ magic:

Vitamin C has been shown to help prevent and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.²Woot, woot! Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, tissue repair, and reduction of inflammation.¹ Foods rich in this vitamin include red bell peppers, strawberries, citrus fruit, and broccoli.

Vitamin A in foods is converted to its’ active form in your liver, where it helps prevent damage to your skin’s collagen caused by ultraviolet light.⁴Yep, it works like a natural sunblock! Dark leafy greens, carrots, fish, and sweet potatoes are great food choices that provide an abundance of vitamin A.

Every 27 days your skin is regenerated,³ so the healthy food you eat today will help build and repair the body’s cells. With 158% of the daily value for vitamin C and 84% for vitamin A, this Strawberry and Citrus Salad will put you well on your way to beautiful skin!