Above, lunch at our Adirondack cabin. Read on for the recipe.

Here, in our JC kitchen.If you read my Sunshine Smoothie post, you know I undertook the Dr. Oz 28 Day Shrink-Your-Stomach Challenge at the beginning of the summer. It was no picnic, but the results were more than palatable. Pounds lost, waistline rediscovered, bloat banished.

As I did with my Smoothie recipe, I tinkered with the lunch options as well and landed on a cabbage-based Salad with whatever lean protein and vegetable/fruit add-ins I was feeling that day. On the diet, this was lunch every day. Now, I enjoy it 3-4 days a week. And anyone I’ve served it to is surprised and delighted with just how delicious and filling it really is. You can do a lot of advance prep, which makes this an especially easy take-to-work-and-skip-takeout-again lunch. And it’s so fun to see all the colors come together. You’ll feel like a food stylist!

Lighter Side of Lunch Salad

Ingredients

For salad:

1/2 cup pre-mixed salad greens (Here I used Dole’s Sunflower Crunch Cabbage/Kale/Carrot Mix, but I also like to finely chop a mix of baby kale/chard/spinach. All can be washed and stored for future lunches)

1/2 hardboiled egg (if you’re going vegetarian use whole egg)

1/4 -1/2 cup tuna (or other lean meat like chicken or turkey)

1/4 cup halved heirloom baby tomatoes (great alt are beets)

1/4 cup chopped cucumber (great alt is 1/2 a granny smith apple)

1/4 cup sliced baby carrots (great alt are finely sliced mixed peppers)

Sprinkling of pumpkin and sunflower seeds with dried cranberries (Mix ahead and store in a mason jar.)

Other add-ins to consider: diced red onion, chopped walnuts or almonds, dried cherries or raisins, radishes, leftover veggies like boiled potatoes, green beans or asparagus…you get the idea.

For dressing:

1-2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (I love Bragg!)

1-2 tsp Olive Oil

Freshly ground salt (not too much) and pepper (go for it) to taste. I’m loving Pink Himalayan these days.