Savor lunch today: spring salad inspiration

It’s officially spring, which always whets my appetite for salads that celebrate the season.  Today I’m making a spinach salad with sliced mushrooms, strawberries, avocado, and chopped walnuts.  I toss it with a raspberry vinaigrette and serve with toasted whole wheat pita and hummus.  Then I pair it with a refreshing, ice cold Pellegrino with a wedge of lime.

Sounds perfect doesn’t it?  Whip one up for yourself, but don’t forget to savor it.  According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who chew their food thoughtfully are three times less likely to be overweight than those who wolf it down.  In fact, the more times people chewed, the less they ingested.  Why?  Chewing slowly increases the hormone levels in the blood that regulate appetite.

Try eating with a dessert fork, and share your meal with a friend, not the television.