What is this cookie salad I speak of? Is it exactly what is sounds like? Mini-chocolate chip cookies, Madeleines, Oreos, with a sprinkling of M&M cookies and Christmas tree cookies for color? Whip cream or vanilla bean (always bean, never the French variety) ice cream as your dressing? Fat free frozen yogurt if you are into that? Unfortunately not.
My version of the cookie salad looks like a regular salad as seen in the pictures shown. It’s all green and healthy looking with some croutons, little baby tomatoes (as opposed to “big” baby tomatoes… yes, I just mocked myself), and a sprinkling of parmesan. I know(sigh)… it sounds disgusting to me as well.
So why eat it? For two reasons. One, salads are healthy and if you pile on enough greens you will eat slower and hopefully it will keep you full (if not, i recommend drinking a glass of water before, during and after… check with your physician and BootCampSF instructor to make sure that my water recommendation is not crazy talk). And two, and more important to one in my opinion, is that the end of a cookie salad is a …. COOKIE!!
In the case of the cookie salad in the picture, double chocolate chip and a sizable one at that. My personal reasoning is that no matter what happens I am going to have that cookie. I may be on a diet, but I need something to make me happy. I’ve cut out less than satisfying work hot chocolate and other sugary treats (i.e. no more sugary iced coffee drinks which are just fancy milkshakes). I’m eating a ton of veggies. I deserve at least a little happiness. Hence the cookie salad. Whereas before I’d eat one to three cookies in less than 2 minutes, now I eat a cookie salad over the period of ten to fifteen minutes. I still eat that cookie in like 30 seconds, but now I’m eating a salad a day!
One tip, if you do start having cookie salads, no dressing. Soggy vinagretted or ranched cookies aren’t so tasty. One more tip, just a sprinkle of parmesan otherwise you have a cheesy cookie(parmesan is what those white sprinkles on what is otherwise a pristine looking cookie).
Have a good workout!
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