Some Thoughts about Salads Not Getting Enough Mainstream Attention

It is hard to point out when salads attained the importance they demand these days, since every cuisine in the world would have obviously interacted with vegetables and fruits in a just-about-raw state with a little seasoning. Again, the history of cooking wouldn't be impossible without experimenting with foods in a less-cooked way. Somewhere down the line, salads became an acquired taste, a dining table vital that is now synonymous with modern living. Nearly every cuisine would realize the importance of including some herbs in their food and the herbal purity is best consumed in a form that is not barbequed or deep fried - making salads an easy medium of catching up with those micro and macronutrients that cannot be included at all times in a rushed lifestyle irrespective of where you are catching up with the deadlines - at home, school, or the workplace.

A Little Bit About Salad History | Salad Evolution

While arguments continue over the Greek or Roman origins of the salad, it is perhaps in the Americas where the art of salad making, dressing, presenting, and consuming took on a more serious role. There are so many salad history books that were trending in the Americas more than 100 years ago and in today's comparison, it was like hash-tagging the salad, and celebrating every type of salad, ranging from the candle salad to the chef's special salad and salads so elaborate, it would not be wrong to refer to them as a main course or proper food! Through these stages of salad's evolution, something became a bit blurred, too. Salads were presented like the native salad, salads in a salad section, salads as a side dish, salad dressings, tossed-up fresh produce, and salads that came in a bowl, on platters, and those fortified with meats and things that were far, far away from being fresh from the farm or being herbal.

Did salad lose its originality while it slowly became more mainstream? People making enormous sandwiches started referring to the option of a salad dressing, taking away the very concept of the salad accompanying your meal. Today, the salad is no longer just a leafy green; it is also animated, colorful in the most shocking manner, and often, unbelievably expensive. But this is not about borrowing notes from a salad historian. This is about one aspect of salads that did not mature enough back then and even now - salads not being packed, retailed, and accepted as an on-the-go meal option, as a small tiffin, or as a mini-meal. While many have tried to do it, most have missed the mark, infusing too many spices, condiments, or flowing rivers of cheese in the final product. The leafy-green identity of the salad needs to be maintained. It can borrow shades of blood red from a goofy beetroot, but it cannot drip olive oil or creamy sauces. Finding some pieces of chicken in the salad bowl is a good thing, a bit of culinary adventure trip where the meat-finding equipment seems to find something in between the bites - some salad gold-digging that makes it all the more interesting.

All Salads are Not Created Equal | More Salad Culture Inputs

The problem is closer to home, rather than blaming it all on changing consumer mindsets or restaurants trying to sell more salad boxes. Salads come without the lineage that they deserve. It is hard to find a book that clearly dictates how finely chopped the green leafy vegetables and fruits should be to make every salad bite-sized, easy to pack away for on-the-go nibbling or even filling up when the only other option is a greasy wrap or an unseasonal fruit without any real flavor. It was watching Seinfeld that helped me understand the scope of salads being eaten as a mini-meal, as something that can be ordered, and obviously, salads have been a mainstream dine-in option across America. However, the pattern here in India is rather different. I don't recall any of the food ordering apps showcasing ordering salads as a popular option. Even more feeble is the response when trying to talk to a restaurant or a service provider about personalizing the salad. Essentially, salads are still an afterthought when it comes to ordering food or dining in, often disregarded as compared to the larger, bigger, and more proper meal. Clearly, the salad culture is not to be found everywhere - honestly, my interpretation and expectations from salad are along the lines of some seasoned onions and salted tomatoes, which are by far the poorer cousin of the wholesome salads served elsewhere.

Perhaps All Cuisines Don't Warrant Proper Salads on the Side

I also believe that some cuisines are inherently drawn towards underplaying or building up the salad. For instance, oriental cuisines seem to have so much semi-fried and almost raw greens on the side. I have seen folks from this part of the world gulp down octopuses and shrimps and crabs dipped in animatedly red sauces, followed by a few bites of leafy greens on the side. Similarly, a lot of their steaming bowl preparations are naturally high in bringing together many types of greens, taking away the criticality of salads being served in a standalone manner. Compare this with the subcontinent, where the meals are high on starch and carbohydrates with lots of cereal, and it seems like salads are needed to ensure the fiber content of the meal and the alkalinity of the intestines is maintained.

I am pretty sure that most people would not know about the five basic types of salads despite the information being easily available via an online search. The basic understanding is usually along the lines of salads in the form of tossed salads, salads with vegetables only, salads with fruits, and combination salads that can get very creative. A peep into salad culture also suggests that salads can be served throughout a main course meal, ensuring a more apt type of salad accompanies the main course or even the dessert! I believe that it is not about the lack of awareness about the role of salads from a nutritional and health care perspective or underselling it that keeps it away from becoming a routinely ordered or consumed food, at par with ordering a burger or getting a BBQ platter customized. It just hasn't been packaged well enough. Salads need to evolve and surpass the perception of being predictable.

Simplifying Salads to Make Them More Commonly Ordered and Explored

They need to be presented in a manner that makes it easy to consume the leafy mix from a box, even when catching up with a meal in the car or in the backseat of a cab. People often complain about the challenges of serving salads since so many ingredients need to be fresh, and this is where better preservation methods need to enter the picture to ensure that takeaway salad bowls and boxes can last for the entire day on the vendor's premises without fussing over the weather or the humidity levels. The perception of some traditional salad types, such as appetizer salads, also needs to be challenged. It is hard to find people who routinely gorge on salads before starting a lunch or supper - salads cannot be just a precursor to a traditional meal. Chefs and food vending brands need to start offering options like some bread or slices that can accompany each salad box to allow people to have some fun in creating their own salad-focused meals. Food bloggers could also talk a bit more about the cause of salads being termed in a simpler way, such as protein salads, seasonal salads, salad meals, high-fiber salads, and exotic salads. This just might help more people understand what they are about to order and take away the high-street aura of salads, easing the leafy greens into everyday lifestyles...

Why eating a heavy lunch at your workplace can backfire?

Most healthcare experts seem to agree that eating a heavy lunch is not a good idea because it can cause a variety of negative effects on your body and mind. For starters, consuming a big meal at one time takes away the chance of snacking healthy and responsibly throughout the working day - critical when snacking is a part of your arsenal to keep away workplace laziness and fight off the sluggishness associated with being seated in a demarcated area every day. But there is a lot more...

First off, when you consume a massive meal, your digestive system can go haywire. Think discomfort, bloating, indigestion, and heartburn. It's like a carnival inside your tummy, and not in a fun way. Plus, your poor digestive system has to work overtime to handle all that food, making it harder for your body to absorb the nutrients it needs. Bummer, right? Next, heavy meals can be a one-way ticket to Weight Gain City. Especially if you're chowing down on calorie-loaded, fatty goodies. That extra weight can lead to some serious health issues, like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. But wait, there's more! When you feast on a hefty meal, your blood sugar can shoot up like a rocket, only to crash and burn later on. That rollercoaster ride messes with your energy levels, leaving you feeling tired, sluggish, and pretty darn grumpy. Say goodbye to being a productivity superstar.

And let's not forget about poor nutrient absorption. When you shovel too much food into your face at once, your body can struggle to get all the good stuff it needs. That means you might end up lacking important nutrients, which can mess with your overall health. Last but not least, heavy meals can be like a VIP ticket to Chronic Diseaseville. If you're constantly indulging in meals packed with saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars, you're increasing your risk of things like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. So, let's bring it home to your workplace. Eating a heavy lunch there can backfire in more ways than one. First off, it's a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. You'll be fighting off the Zzz monster instead of tackling your tasks like a boss. Blame it on all that blood rushing to your stomach, trying to digest that massive meal. Talk about a buzzkill.

Then there's the discomfort and bloating. Picture yourself trying to focus in a meeting while feeling like you swallowed a watermelon. Yeah, not exactly a recipe for success. That stuffed feeling can make it hard to sit at your desk, too. It's like your stomach is staging a revolt, complete with gas and all. And let's not forget the weight gain. Stuffing your face with a ton of food can lead to extra pounds creeping up on you. And trust me, those pounds don't play nice. They bring along their friends, like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. You definitely don't want to party with that crowd.

Oh, and did I mention the afternoon energy crash? That heavy lunch can mess with your glucose levels, leaving you feeling like a deflated balloon. Good luck making smart decisions, staying focused, or keeping your cool. It's like your brain checked out early for a vacation, and it's leaving you to deal with the consequences. To avoid this lunchtime disaster, here's the deal: opt for a balanced meal with plenty of fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains. And hey, watch those portion sizes! Don't go overboard. It's also a good idea to have smaller meals throughout the day instead of one mega meal. That way, you'll keep your energy levels steady and avoid the chaos of a heavy lunch.

Don’t Plan Life, Just a Week Can Do!

Plan Shorter. Plan Simpler. Plan the Doable

I have come across lots of blogs about planning your life. However, my success with this strategy is abysmally low. I am not saying that planning your life is a bad choice but to me, it seems like something that consumes too much time and energy and doesn’t serve the purpose. Some people say that they live in the moment. Some choose to structure their entire life in blocks of what they should do and achieve. I believe that the better approach is somewhere in between—planning your life but not more than a week ahead. I had been a chronic life planner all along. Even when I was in school, I was apprehensive about how my practice in Medicine would shape up or by what time I would be able to practice individually.

Just some quick eye-shut time to reconnect with yourself

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You must have read a lot about the concept of power napping and how the shortest periods of relaxation can cleanse the mind of overwhelming thoughts. I am using the same thing in the most micro fashion – using some eye-shut time to ensure you have a more uncluttered mind. I do this at the desk, in the car and even when taking a bath. Just shut your eyes and banish all thoughts. Try to concentrate on a facial muscle, i.e. on your face. I tend to focus on the nose bridge, clutching the skin around it. This is not about many minutes but a handful of seconds. You can do this repeatedly, like a breath hold & go exercise that is found in many meditation prep programs. For me, concentrating with my eyes closed is almost impossible. I tend to hop to what happens next scenarios a bit too often.