Salad? Really?

This week, I had lunch with a friend.  Just an everyday lunch, nothing special.  About every 3 weeks or so we decide to have lunch.  It's pretty cool because he works downtown and I normally have a day off during the week.  So when we decide to connect, I have a great early morning.  I get up, take the kids to the bus stop, run some errands and get a ticket on the Light Rail...

Stop.

The Light Rail is a pretty awesome experience for a people watcher.  There are many people to watch on the Light Rail.  Both ends of the spectrum.  There are business professionals and students.  There are rich people and homeless.  There's people who work for the Light Rail and people who bring on their bike for no apparent reason.  Totally worth watching.

Hold on.

I meet up with my friend and we try to determine a place to eat.  Look, the Tilted Kilt is cool - unless you eat there 8 times a year and once in a while you get the pregnant server (not that there is anything wrong with that).  We decide on Earl's - an upscale grill in LoDo.

Wait for it...

Menus come (that's what she said).  We order.  Both of us order SALADS as the side instead of fries.  Salad? Really?

Here it comes...(do I need to say it again?)

Right, salad.  The salad was awesome.  In fact, it was better than the sandwich I had.  My friend even said, and I quote, "If salads at home tasted this good, I would eat it at every meal."  He also said, "This salad is about 1000 calories, I'm sure."

My friend, I say, "Yay," and "Nay!" to your thoughts.  The great salad that we had was not only easy to make and good for you - it was also way below 1000 calories...Below is my recipe for the Earl's Mixed Field Greens Salad with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

4 cups of Dole Spring Mix (40)
2 tbsp. of diced or julienned Granny Smith apples (25)
2 tbsp. of feta cheese (60)
2 tbsp. of candied walnuts (95)
2 tbsp. of Apple Cider Vinaigrette (98)

Mix to combine and enjoy.  I guarantee this 318 calorie salad will be something you enjoy.  In fact, you might even be able to run 40 minutes on the treadmill for 'free' calories...

Now that you have read this post, I recommend that you 'right click open in new tab' on all of the links...

Good Luck.