In the early days of the year, the family meal usually revolves around braised pork, banh chung, and spring rolls. Continuously eating energy-rich dishes quickly makes many people feel full and hungry. At this time, salads with a mild sour, crispy, and easy-to-make taste are a reasonable choice to "refresh" meals without breaking traditional lifestyles.
Familiar but not boring salad dishes
Sliced chicken salad is an easy dish to make, the ingredients are available after Tet. Boiled and shredded chicken mixed with onions, Vietnamese coriander, a little lemon fish sauce helps the dish to be both rich and light. Protein from chicken combined with herbs helps to feel full for longer but not heavy for the stomach.
Lotus root salad with shrimp and meat is also a popular choice. Lotus root is crispy, cool, and low in energy, when combined with boiled shrimp and boiled lean meat, it creates a balanced dish between protein and fiber. This is a suitable dish for the elderly or people who need a light snack at the beginning of the year.
Green mango salad with dried fish or dried shrimp has a characteristic sour and spicy flavor, stimulating the taste buds. Green mangoes are rich in fiber, helping to reduce the feeling of thirst after meals with a lot of grease. However, it is necessary to season just right, avoiding being too salty or too spicy.
Simple cabbage salad mixed with carrots, onions, with a little vinegar or lemon is the easiest dish to make, suitable for daily meals. Cabbage contains a lot of fiber, supports intestinal digestion, and helps the digestive system function smoothly.
Finally, cucumber salad mixed with grilled sesame. This dish is light to eat, cheap in ingredients, quick to make, especially suitable for hot days at the beginning of the year.
Expert perspective: Eating salad to balance, not to purify
According to Ms. Frances Largeman-Roth, nutritionist, visiting lecturer at Cornell University (USA), vegetable-rich salads help supplement fiber and water, support digestion after fatty meals. “Live vegetables and mixed vegetables bring a lighter feeling to the stomach, and also help the meals be more nutritious,” she said.
However, this expert also noted that the role of salads should not be misunderstood. “Sausage is not a dish to detoxify the body or detoxify. Their greatest value is to help balance the diet and create a comfortable feeling for the digestive system,” she emphasized.
Regarding food safety, experts recommend that raw vegetables should be washed thoroughly and soaked in clean water properly; ingredients such as shrimp, meat, and chicken must be completely cooked. People with a history of stomach pain should limit salad that is too sour or too spicy, avoid eating on an empty stomach.
Eating on the first day of the year is not only about delicious food but also about moderation. Adding refreshing salads to the meal tray helps balance nutrition, reduce the feeling of thirst and keep the body lighter after a long vacation.
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