Salad with Apple & Mozzarella
917 kcal in a salad that never touches the stove. Apple wedges, mozzarella cubes, avocado, and mixed nuts, tossed in a mustard-olive oil vinaigrette and finished in five minutes.
Three fat sources (avocado, olive oil, and mixed nuts) deliver 67g of fat, nearly all monounsaturated. Whole wheat bread and nuts add 28g of protein, while apple pectin, bread, nuts, and vegetables combine for 16g of fiber.
917 kcal in a salad that never touches the stove. Apple wedges, mozzarella cubes, avocado, and mixed nuts, tossed in a mustard-olive oil vinaigrette and finished in five minutes.
Three fat sources (avocado, olive oil, and mixed nuts) deliver 67g of fat, nearly all monounsaturated. Whole wheat bread and nuts add 28g of protein, while apple pectin, bread, nuts, and vegetables combine for 16g of fiber.
Ingredients
- cucumber 0.5
- bell pepper 1
- apple 1
- avocado 0.5
- mozzarella, low-moisture part skim 2 ounces
- iceberg lettuce, shredded 1 handful
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- vinegar 1.5 tablespoon
- yellow mustard 0.5 teaspoon
- mixed nuts, unsalted 1 ounce
- bread, whole wheat 1 slice
Method
-
Cut the cucumber into half slices, the bell pepper into cubes, the apple into wedges and the avocado into cubes. Also cut the mozzarella into small pieces.
-
Put the lettuce in a bowl and add the chopped ingredients to it.
-
Mix the oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together.
-
Serve the salad in a deep plate. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Crumble the nuts over the salad and serve with (toasted) bread.
Research found that raw vegetable salads eaten with fat-free dressing produced near-zero carotenoid absorption. The fat-soluble pigments in bell pepper need fat to cross your intestinal wall. The olive oil in this vinaigrette acts as the delivery vehicle.
Why This Works
Behind this recipe
Why is this salad 917 calories?
Three fat sources (avocado, olive oil, and mixed nuts) drive the calorie count. Fat provides 9 kcal per gram compared to 4 for protein and carbs, so the 67g of fat alone accounts for roughly 600 of the 917 kcal. The rest comes from carbs in the apple, bread, and vegetables.
Is 28g of protein enough for one meal?
A systematic review of 49 studies found that the body keeps using protein for muscle repair well past the 20-30g mark most gym conversations treat as a hard cap. The 28g here comes from mozzarella, mixed nuts, bread, and small contributions from vegetables, a mixed-source profile that releases amino acids at different speeds.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I make this ahead for lunch?
Keep the dressing in a separate container and toss it just before eating. The vinegar in the dressing slows browning on the cut apple, so if you do mix early, the acid buys you time. The avocado browns fastest, so save it for last when assembling on the go.
