outFit With Kit: A Fitness Expert's Go To Salad Recipe

I often get asked what my typical daily diet consists of and what I cook at home. Cooking isn’t really my norm, and I don’t have the patience for it. I’m always on the go filming television segments, and to stay fit and trim—and cut back on the calories—it’s always safer to prepare your meals for the day at home.

To stay healthy on the run, I turn to one of my favorite “go to” meals,—a fast, nutritious, and totally delicious salad recipe that I prepare all the time—and it only takes roughly five minutes! The sweet, nutty taste of the raw artichoke is a nice foil for the spicy arugula and the salty parmigiano-reggiano cheese. It complements practically any main dish, and, with or without the artichoke, is perfect for a mid-afternoon snack when your stomach says, “Feed me!”

Like all my quick and healthy recipes, this one depends on your personal taste. The arugula is spicy. Some like more lemon, some less. One thing’s for sure: This is a very, very simple dish, so the success of the salad depends on the quality of your ingredients. If either your lemon juice or your olive oil is bitter, it will not work.

This filling recipe makes one healthy serving, and it’s less than 400 calories!

Artichoke Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ bag of pre-washed baby arugula (also called rocket)
• 2 or 3 thinly sliced raw baby artichokes
• 1/2 lemon (Meyer, if you’ve got them)
• 1 Tablespoon (or less) of Extra virgin, first cold pressed, olive oil. Drizzle over the top of the salad.
• 1 or 1 ½ ounces of shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese (an ounce is roughly the size of two nine volt batteries or your index and middle fingers combined)

DIRECTIONS

To prepare, remove all the tough artichoke leaves first, then cut in half and scoop out the choke. Slice what is left of the artichoke into very thin pieces, and sprinkle over the arugula. Pour the fresh lemon juice over the salad using your hands or a lemon squeezer. Add the olive oil and mix the salad with your hands or a serving spoon, then garnish with the parmigiano-reggiano cheese on top.

To make it more exciting, grate bits of the lemon zest into the salad, or add a few leaves of basil or mint. Season to taste with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. For added protein, include three to four ounces of sliced chicken breast, salmon, tuna fish, or turkey breast.

Enjoy!

Kit Rich is Los Angeles-based fitness trainer with endless exercise and nutritional know-how. Hollywood's hottest stars are addicted to Kit's unique, multi-disciplined approach that combines cardio, yoga, Pilates, and weight training. Kit's clients are immediately taken by her funny and honest approach to health and fitness. She treats her clients as she treats herself, "with a hard challenge, sensibility, sensitively, and a good laugh." Follow Kit on Twitter @kitrichfitness.