For Men Who Aren't Good at Cooking! How to Beat Summer Fatigue with a "Power Salad"!

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What are you doing for meals this summer?

Hello to all the single men out there!
The days have been hot lately, but how are you handling your meals?
Many of you are probably busy with work and end up eating out or grabbing convenience store food, or perhaps you do cook but get bored because your repertoire is limited.

I previously wrote an article recommending marinated dishes and simmered grilled vegetables for summer, but vegetables alone aren't quite enough, and you probably want a bit more variety.

That's when I remembered! "Wait, there's Power Salad!"
This time, I'd like to introduce "Power Salad," which is easy to make and nutritionally balanced.
Let me introduce it to you.

Some of you might be thinking, "What on earth is a Power Salad?" Simply put, it's a hearty salad that combines four types of ingredients: 1) vegetables, 2) protein, 3) fruit, and 4) toppings (like nuts).
It became popular in the U.S. around 2016 and was a hot topic in Japan for a while as well.

In this article, I want to share the appeal of Power Salad and why it's effective for combating summer fatigue, including my own experiences, specifically for single men in their 20s to 50s. After reading this, you'll definitely want to try making a Power Salad yourself!

Why Power Salad is Recommended Specifically for Single Men

Are you thinking, "It's just a salad, right?" There are actually many reasons why I recommend Power Salad to single men!

1. Perfect Nutritional Balance! Effective for Preventing Summer Fatigue!

Meals we tend to choose, like convenience store bento boxes or ramen, often lack vegetables. They also tend to be heavy on carbohydrates and fats.
As a result, this leads to physical issues like skin problems, constipation, and fatigue.

However, with a Power Salad, you can get all the necessary nutrients in a well-balanced way in just one dish. For example:

• Vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins and minerals

• Protein that serves as building blocks for muscles (chicken breast, eggs, beans, etc.)

• Healthy fats that support your well-being (avocado, nuts, olive oil, etc.)

Since you can get all of these at once, you can maintain a balanced diet even if you're busy and don't have much time to cook!
It's also great that it's all contained in one dish, saving you the hassle.

2. It's Incredibly Easy to Make! Even Beginners Can Do It

"I don't really cook..." This is exactly for those who feel that way! Power salads can be easily made by just chopping and mixing. Since many recipes don't even require heat, the appeal is that even those who aren't confident in their cooking can easily give it a try.

I didn't cook at all in the past either. At first, I lowered the bar by using pre-cut vegetables bought at the supermarket or utilizing salad chicken. Once you get used to it, you'll find it fun to arrange things by cutting your own vegetables or adding a little bit of cooking.

3. Filling! Yet healthy and guilt-free

"Isn't a salad just not enough?" you might think, but because power salads are packed with ingredients, they are quite filling and satisfying to eat.

Moreover, since they are healthier than fried or greasy foods, a nice point is that you can eat them without feeling heavy afterward or feeling guilty. Even if you have a late dinner after work, a power salad won't put much strain on your body.

Countermeasures for Summer Fatigue! The Secret of Power Salad

Especially in the coming season, aren't there many people who feel "Iginari, gaotta ya~" (Sendai dialect for "I'm very tired") due to summer fatigue? Loss of appetite, lethargy, lack of sleep, fatigue...

But with a power salad, you'll be fine! It's a strong ally for fighting summer fatigue that will blow away those summer ailments!

1. Fatigue recovery with abundant vitamins and minerals

One of the major causes of summer fatigue is said to be a lack of vitamins and minerals. You've probably heard that by sweating a lot, the nutrients necessary for the body are expelled.

Because power salads use a wide variety of vegetables such as lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers, you can efficiently charge these nutrients.
For something a bit different, vegetables like mountain yam and okra can also be expected to help prevent summer fatigue.

2. Easy to eat even when you have no appetite!

On hot days, there are times when you don't feel like eating hot or heavy things. Even at such times, a cold power salad is refreshing, easy to eat, and easy to swallow even when you have no appetite.

Since it also looks vibrant, you can expect an effect that stimulates your appetite. If you use plenty of summer vegetables, you can also enjoy the taste of the season, killing two birds with one stone.

3. It also provides hydration!

Vegetables are rich in water content. By eating a power salad, you can naturally hydrate while you eat. Cucumbers and tomatoes, in particular, contain a lot of water, which helps prevent dehydration and also has a cooling effect on the body.

4. Easy on digestion! Reduce the burden on your stomach and intestines

Even when your stomach and intestines are weakened by summer fatigue, a power salad is easy to digest, so you can eat it with peace of mind. If you use low-fat chicken breast or tofu, you can further reduce the burden on your digestive system.

So, I actually made it.

Now, I will answer the question you might all have: "How do I actually make it?" I'll introduce a recipe I made recently and show you what it looked like while I was cooking.

First, the ingredients.

Salad lettuce, smoked salmon, pineapple, onion, and bell pepper (I bought a yellow one too, but I forgot to take a picture of it 💦). That's it!

I just cut them up and put them on a plate, and... I'd like to say it's finished, but I forgot to buy nuts for the topping. So...

Shall we try adding boiled soybeans instead of nuts? (That's not a substitute)
It's a bit sloppy, but just add some dressing and it's done.

My personal tips for keeping up a power salad lifestyle

Some of you might be thinking, "Alright, I'll try making a power salad!" But if you're going to do it, you want to keep it up for a long time without too much effort, right? So, here are a few tips for maintaining a power salad lifestyle.

Tip 1: "Meal prep" on the weekend

When you're tired from work on weekdays and don't have the energy to cook... even then, if you put in a little effort on the weekend to "meal prep," it makes things incredibly easy.

For example,

• Boil a batch of chicken breast in advance

• Cut vegetables and store them in containers

• Make hard-boiled eggs ahead of time

Even just doing this makes preparation quick and easy when it's time to cook, significantly lowering the barrier to entry. Keeping staples like canned tuna or ham on hand is also a good idea.

I make it a habit to spend about 20 to 30 minutes every Sunday evening preparing ingredients while watching baseball games.

Tip 2: Use your favorite ingredients and seasonal vegetables

If you prepare the same things every week, you'll get bored. That's why I recommend actively incorporating vegetables and ingredients you personally enjoy.

Also, seasonal vegetables are highly nutritious and, above all, delicious! In summer, try tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, or okra. It's fun to try different ingredients each season.

Tip 3: Enjoy changing the flavor with dressings

Since you'll get tired of the same taste every day, why not change the flavor with dressing? It's convenient to keep various types of dressings on hand, such as Japanese-style, sesame, French, Italian, or Chinese-style.

Recently, there are many low-carb and non-oil dressings available, and it's also great to make a simple one yourself using olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Tip 4: Be mindful of color

Appearance is important in cooking. Adding colorful vegetables will stimulate your appetite and naturally improve the nutritional balance. Try to be conscious of plating ingredients of various colors, such as red (tomatoes, bell peppers), green (lettuce, broccoli), yellow (bell peppers, corn), and white (chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs).

Summary

How was it? In this article, I talked to all you single men about the appeal of power salads, easy recipes, and why they are effective against summer fatigue.

A power salad is

• Perfect nutritional balance!

• Easy to make even for cooking beginners!

• Filling yet healthy!

• Effective for fighting summer fatigue too!

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits.

If you're feeling stuck in a rut with your daily meals or are feeling a bit of summer fatigue, why not give a power salad a try? As you saw with my cooking, a power salad can be just like that (laughs). Since it's man's cooking, let's aim for "good enough" rather than "perfect"! Once you've read this article, go ahead and make your own original salads, eat them up, and blow away that summer fatigue!

Click here if you want to know more about summer cooking ⇩

About the author of this article ⇩

Taketonbo | Laboratory for Men Living Alone

An ordinary 40-something single man sharing QOL-improving techniques and stories of failure gained from a long history of living alone.
If you're thinking, "I'm too busy and my life is on the back burner... I want to do something about it," but also, "Mindful living or minimalist stuff isn't really for me..." then I'd be happy to help you have a "fun life living alone."

I'm also on Threads and X!