1% change, it's salad, it's salad time.

(I won't link to the flight of the conchords, "business time" song since 

this is a family blog and it's a little inappropriate, but just know when I say 

"it's salad, it's salad time", I'm singing to that tune)

So, how are your 1% changes going?

If you're new around here, you can check out all the past 1% changes here. 

It's basically just my journey of making steps to become healthier each day. 

But you can apply it to any area of life, and I often do:). 

Today, I'm kind of reminding myself something about 1% changes. They only help if you actually keep making them. Making a big drastic change is hard and sometimes hard to keep, but the danger in making small changes is, sometimes you forget or your lose the passion to keep making them day after day. So this is my encouragement to you and to me - keep pushing forward, keep making your small costly changes, it's worth it. 

So. Salad. 

Instead of thinking about things I can't or shouldn't eat, I often just think about how deliciously and healthily I CAN eat, and it excites me. Salad is one of those things that has drastically changed in my mind and now, after a massive salad at lunch, I feel wonderful physically and really satisfied in my tastebuds. 

If you'd told me three years ago, even two years ago, that I'd be eating a salad once or twice a day  - I'd have told you that was silly. Salads were reserved for restaurant eating, for some weird reason in my mind. I think it was only because I didn't know how delicious a homemade salad could be. 

I've written before how I shift thru different salad ingredients for months at a time and for almost a year now I've been on a spinach, roma tomato, cucumber, (maybe some quinoa) & black bean kick. 

EVERY SINGLE DAY. I love it. But it's all in the dressing. That's what makes it diverse and awesome and truly, truly delicious. 

BUT, use most store bought dressings and if you've just turned a good-choice-healthy-lunch into a maybe not, so wise choice. If you google "unhealthy salad dressings", you'll see what I mean. Normal salad dressings are loaded with fat, too much sugar, and empty calories. Which, hey! is great once in a while - but if you're opting for a salad instead of McDonalds to make a wise choice, and basically pouring a big mac on top of your lettuce, that's a let down. Diet or "healthy" salad dressings almost always contain extremely fake ingredients, a high amount of high fructose corn syrup, and a variety of other grossness. And so, today's 1% change: just make your own. It's healthier, much cheaper, better for the environment (less packaging and waste), and most of the time - way more delicious. 

You can find all sorts of delicious dressings on the internet (I suggest starting on Mama Pea's dressing page). But you can also keep it REALLY simple. Little drizzle of olive oil, little drizzle of balsamic. Wonderful! Drizzle of honey, drizzle of mustard?! Sounds like honey mustard to me!? Here is my current fave, topping my spinach-quinoa-tomato-cucumber-black-bean-creation, daily. 

not the prettiest, but oh so delicious

simple hummus/honey/balsamic dressing: 

(this barely qualifies as a recipe, it's so easy)

2 tablespoons of your favorite hummus

.5 tablespoon of honey

drizzle of balsamic

whip it up and throw it on your salad! 

so easy a 3 year old can do it:) 

It's simple and takes only a second. You feel a little special about making your own dressing and even more special because you saved $3.99 NOT buying salad dressing. It's not saving the world or making the biggest difference ever, but it's a 1% change that we can do, costs us a little extra effort, and will hopefully - help us feel a little more healthy each day. 

.............................

If you haven't checked out the giveaway, 

you're missing out! 

You have until Thursday at 5pm EST. A lot of people are saying it's confusing - don't get overwhelmed! Just enter once by being a following of this blog and leaving a comment. Then for each vendor that you like on facebook, follow their blog, or favorite their shop on Etsy, leave another comment - that's another entry. With SO many great gifts to choose from, the odds aren't too bad that you'll win something!

And thank you guys for your encouragement on yesterday's Glory's post. 

Your prayers and encouragement mean more than you know. 

I like you guys. 

Alright, link up those 1% changes!