How to Make a Better Salad

 

DevonBerry, RN, PhD, is a healthcare professional residing in Happy Valley, Oregon with his family. He has served at universities across the country, including Wright State University, University of Cincinnati, and most recently, Devon Berry was the executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

 

Healthy eating is important to Berry and his family, which involves making delicious, plant-based meals. Eating nutritiously and enjoying delicious, craveable foods don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Even boring dishes like salad—with the right tips—can be tasty and have enough variety to make lunch and dinner interesting. Read on for tips on how to make a better salad.

 

Think Beyond Leaves

While most salads are lettuce-based you don’t have to use a majority of leafy greens. It can be any even ratio of vegetables, legumes, fruits, or nuts. Try to stick to plant-based ingredients—there are reasons why nachos aren’t called chip salads.

 

Top it Off

There are more options for topping off a salad than croutons. Try roasted nuts or seeds for something crunchy. You can also add nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, herbs like basil or mint to brighten your ingredients, and lemon rind to add something zesty.

 

Add Contrasts

When you add an ingredient, think of what would be a good contrast to well-rounded flavor and texture. If the salad is mostly crunchy, add something soft. If it skews salty, add something sweet. If it’s rich, add something acidic to balance the flavor.

Clever Ways to Use a Blender

 

DevonBerry is a nursing professional residing in Happy Valley, Oregon with his family. He last served as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing, and prioritizes health in his everyday life. 

 

One healthy drink Devon Berry and his family like to make is a green smoothie. A blender is the appliance of choice for cold, creamy smoothies, but that’s not the only thing it’s good for. Apart from making soups or purees, there are even more clever ways to use a blender that makes the bladed device a must-have for every kitchen.

 

Homemade tea

You can use your favorite herbs, flowers, and spices such as lavender, ginger, lemon peel, and chamomile to blend a nice tea. Mix and match about three different ingredients with water, strain, heat, and enjoy.

 

Flour

A blender can double as an oversized food processor. Pulse oats into oat flour, almonds into almond meal, or stale bread into breadcrumbs.

 

Dressing

Salad dressing can run up to $7 a bottle with ingredients you likely have at home such as oil and vinegar. With a blender, you can make homemade dressing at a fraction of the cost that comes together in seconds. Try a simple lemon dijon dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic.

3 Wildlife Photography Tips for All Skill Levels

Having recently completed his MBA at Western Governors’ University, Devon Berry hasover 20 years of experience as a healthcare professional. He last served as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing, following leadership roles at University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, and Cedarville University. Outside of academia, Devon Berry likes to work on his hobbies, including photography.

 

Photography offers many challenges by way of equipment and jargon, but subjects can pose their own set of obstacles--especially wildlife. While the art of capturing animals is ever-evolving, there are a few wildlife photography tips for all skill levels that hold true no matter what:

 

Plan and Have Patience

The hardest part of photographing wildlife is getting close to your subject. Depending on what animal you’d like to photograph—such as a bird, deer, or rabbit—their habits should dictate when and where you set up. What time of day do they like to go out? Where are they most likely to be found? Once you have that settled, have patience—unlike human and inanimate subjects, you can’t direct them or manipulate their environment in any way.

 

Get a Mix of Detailed and Pulled Back Shots

When capturing the character of the animal you are shooting, often what comes to mind is detailed shots to get their expressions and body language. Telephoto zoom lenses (though expensive) are great for this, as they allow you to get tight shots at a distance. However, it’s important not to overlook the importance of their habitat. To get a sense of place, take some pictures that are further away using a wide-angle lens. That way you get a well-rounded look at the animal and how it interacts with its environment.

 

Shoot at the Subject’s Level

While shooting from above can capture an interesting angle, by getting eye-level with your subject, you can get detailed shots with a better bokeh effect—where the background is softly out of focus. That may mean some uncomfortable situations such as climbing a tree or hiding in a bush, but if you’re up for it, it may have a nice payoff.