Eating your colors...

Dietitians can't stress the importance of eating a variety of vegetables and fruit; the more colors the better, so who am I to argue with them ? I am happy to oblige especially when it's a great tasting salad. My kids love to say that anything that tastes good is bad for you and anything that tastes bad is inevitably good for you. I believe there is always a way to make it taste good. Even though they are inclined to wrinkle their noses in distaste at the mere mention of the word "Salad" the plates will be licked clean with this one. Packed with protein and vitamins, it can be eaten simply as a salad or filled into wraps.

Recipe for Tex Mex Salad:

1 cup black beans

1 cup pinto beans

1 cup grilled corn

1 red pepper cut into strips

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 grilled chicken breast cut into strips

1/2 a red onion diced small

1 T sour cream ( optional)

2-3 T crumbled cheese ( optional)

strips of tortilla fried and set aside for garnish

Fresh salsa to taste- diced tomato, onion, garlic, honey, lime juice, cilantro and salt

1.Starting with the lettuce, place all the ingredients into 3 pasta bowls and top with the sour cream and salsa. Mix it and top with the fried tortilla strips.

Or use as a filling with warm tortillas.

Note: Avocados can be added in if desired as they add great texture and flavor. Cheese and sour cream can add on extra calories so I usually leave them out, but they make the salad more substantial, depending on your appetite.