Spinach, Avocado & Artichoke Salad
Yesterday marked 2 weeks into my ‘sugar detox‘. (I’m shooting for at least 21 days, maybe more.) I don’t think I’ve ever gone two weeks without a piece of chocolate let alone no fruit. Or wheat. Or booze. Or caffeine. Or a sweet potato. Or some kind of sweetener. The list seems to go on and on. And on and on. The first part of this detox I couldn’t help but fixate on what I couldn’t eat- it seemed like a lot. I was ravenous. Roast asparagus and almonds could only get me so far. I couldn’t figure out to sustain myself through the day. ALL I WANTED WAS A PEICE OF TOAST FOR BREAKFAST. But I quickly realized that much of the food I was craving was stuff I should be eating less of anyway.
I had some serious cravings the first week. Like get out of my way before I push you over and steal your candy kind of cravings. I still had some cravings this week but the temptations were so much easier to manage. I even went to two baby showers on Saturday- both filled with great food and pretty awesome looking desserts. I managed to stay clear of the sweets and no no’s and instead filled my plate with veggies and lean protein. I think what’s gotten me through this week is herbal tea. I swear I’ve had 3-4 mugs a day. Whenever I’m feeling like I want something snacky, I make tea. I don’t know why or how it works but so far it has. These two weeks have been an eye opener to say the least. I’ve always eaten good food and made good choices but along with them I eat more processed foods than I realized and the amount of sugar in my diet is/was staggering.
Another thing that’s helping me stay full and manage the cravings is eating a ton of fat. It sounds counter intuitive and was really hard to get on board with but now I’m a believer. I’m eating an avocado a day, coconut butter by the spoonful and almond butter is my BFF. I came up with this salad mid first week and have been eating it at least every other day. The actual detox list of of foods is very Paleo/Atkins friendly and the hardest part for me has been the idea of eating meat with most meals. I just can’t. So I have to get creative in the protein department as legumes aren’t a part of the detox either- too starchy. A small amount of quinoa is allowed each day so I take full advantage. This salad doused in the lemon infused olive oil I made a few weeks back keeps me full, tastes great and almost makes me forget how much I love chocolate chip cookies. Almost.
Happy Meatless Monday!!
PrintSpinach, Avocado & Artichoke Salad
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Pin RecipeDescription
This salad is my go to during my 21 day sugar detox. Full of fresh vegetables, hard boiled eggs, avocado and artichoke hearts, this salad is filling without being to heavy!
Ingredients
- 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
- 1 hard boiled egg, sliced
- a small handful of shelled pistachios
- 2 whole artichoke hearts, packed in water, quartered
- 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 of an avocado, sliced
- lemon infused olive oil or similar
- seat salt for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- Place spinach in bowl
- Top with rest of salad ingredients
- drizzle with lemon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
5 Comments
This salad looks awesome! I totally agree, when you’re craving sugars eating healthier fats, and veggies and drinking water are generally what you should be doing. Unhealthy cravings are my life story, so I love just going off them for a while and cleaning up my habits. It totally works to put things back in balance.
This sounds so incredibly delicious and satisfying!!!!
I love everything in this bowl!
Love your recipes! It is a real eye opener when you give up sugar! I don’t eat meat and have found that the added protein (in an always creative form!) is essential!
Cannot wait to try all of.listed recipes.