Little Step No. 54
What to do:
Add fresh herbs to your salad.
Why this step works:
I’m a big fan of salads. One reason being that I think a salad is the easiest way to get more plant food variety into your diet. And variety is the best way to feed the wide range of friendly bacteria that live in your gut.
What does this have to do with herbs?
Vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions and peppers commonly feature in a salad – delivering perhaps 5 different plant foods. What you might not realise though is that herbs also count when it comes to variety.
By adding any number or mixture of herbs such as parsley, coriander, chives, mint, basil, rosemary, thyme, dill, marjoram or oregano you can significantly increase (and often double!) the plant food variety on your plate. And if you do this every time you make a salad, even if you just add one or two, that really adds up over time.
Adding herbs not only feeds gut bacteria but makes your salad smell and taste amazing too! Herbs are also packed full of incredible compounds that can enhance and protect your health in many different ways. For example, parsley is widely regarded as a natural anti-histamine, herbs such as basil, oregano and coriander are particularly rich in immune-supportive quercetin, and rosemary has been shown to have strong antioxidant activity.
Add fresh herbs when you can; you'll find these in most farm shops or supermarkets or better still, have a go at growing your own. A teaspoon of dried herbs is a good second best if you haven't any fresh. And if you fancy making a herb-based dressing to go with your salad, here’s a very simple and very delicious recipe.
A very simple but incredibly beneficial little step x