Traditional soul food is often synonymous with amazing flavor, but it’s not always healthy. Based on the way it’s prepared, soul food can bring about some unfortunate side effects due to loads of sugar, salt, and fat.
Mother and daughter team, Caroline and Alice Randall, combat the myth that soul food is bad for our health with their cookbook, Soul Food Love. The cookbook provides some quick and easy recipes for those who are always on the go or who don’t cook on a regular basis. (ME; they made a cookbook for people like me.)
The Randalls stress the importance of understanding how critical healthy eating is–for women of color, in particular–and that food made with soul doesn’t necessarily have to be bland, boring, or bad for your health.
Earlier this year, at the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, Caroline and Alice gave insight on the history of soul food, and their goal to educate and inspire people to eat healthy, without having to compromise on taste.
So, instead of running out to grab that cheeseburger daily, or grabbing unhealthy snacks in the office vending machine, consider these three quick and easy salads for lunch:
Serves 8
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinega
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 plums, pitted and chopped
4 apricots, pitted and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 heads romaine lettuce
1. In a small saucepan, heat onions, oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; add the chopped fruit and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat; simmer until fruit is soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Divide lettuce among eight plates; pour hot dressing on top.