A simple fall salad filled with the flavors of sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pecans lightly dressed with a homemade balsamic dressing.
These days I’ve been in total yes mode. Typically, I’m pretty reserved during the week and often choose to stay in on the weekends to catch up on sleep and recharge for the week, but in honor of having a little more time on my hands this semester Brian and I have committed to saying yes to all.the.things.
While it’s totally fun and we are doing many things that we wouldn’t typically do (hello Leon Bridges concert on a Monday night!), there is a bit of planning and prepping involved so that I can feel secure and have the things in my typical day that give me some sort of routine.
My non-negotiables when it comes to week days are:
Nutritious meals
Daily movement (even if it’s a long walk with the dog)
A bit of evening down time with Brian/friends
So, how do I stay on track when I have an event every night of the week? I make my meals simple, squeeze activity into my day whenever I can, and thrive on daily/weekly to do lists.
My meal planning routine involves looking at my schedule for the week to come, then outlining 3-4 meals (counting on leftovers/cleaning out the fridge for at least one meal).
This week’s meal plan:
Crock pot chicken soup (no recipe for this, just threw a bunch of veggies, chicken, and herbs in the crock pot with water and let it simmer all day) with Pumpkin Cornbread
This spinach salad topped with either roasted chicken or salmon
Leftovers/flexability to go out with friends
Packing in all the nutrients into simple meals really helps me feel my best, so saying YES to everything is even more fun than it already is!
This salad is wonderful for fall because of the flavors of the soft roasted sweet potatoes, tart cranberries, sweet pecans, and the simple balsamic dressing.
Top it with your favorite protein to make it a meal or enjoy it as a side. The choice is yours 🙂
A simple fall salad filled with the flavors of sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pecans lightly dressed with a homemade balsamic dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup walnut oil
2 tsp dijon mustard
pinch of salt
For the Salad:
1/4 cup pecans, halves or pieces
1 cup sweet potato cubed
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 cups greens
1/4 cup dried cranberries
*Top with your favorite protein (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the pecans evenly on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until fragrant.
Toss the sweet potato cubes with the olive oil salt and pepper.
Spread the sweet potato on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting whisk together the balsamic, walnut oil, dijon and pinch of salt.
Toss the greens, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and roasted sweet potato together with the dressing. Divide between 4 plates and top with your favorite protein to make it a meal (I love topping this salad with salmon).
Notes
*1/2 cup serving of sweet potato is considered low FODMAP.
This recipe has not been tested for FODMAP content, but ingredients are used in amounts compliant with the Monash University App and guidelines. Please eat the foods that make you feel your best!
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