If you saw my last two posts on the Ear to There Travel blog, the one for the Brisket Sandwich and the one for the Carrot Cake Cookie, then you’re probably thinking that I’m not exactly a role model for healthy eating at Walt Disney World. I won’t lie to you; I like to eat, drink, and be merry!
Hang in there if you prefer to eat more sensibly, because I want to give you the scoop on a super healthy dish that I always crave when I’m at Epcot. That’s right, let’s do a run-down of five reasons why I like to order the Power Salad at the Sunshine Seasons food court (located inside The Land pavilion in Future World):
Reason #1 – If I tell you to picture a salad at a quick-service restaurant, your knee-jerk reaction may be to think of iceberg lettuce, a lone-wolf tomato, and maybe a few carrot shavings. Nope, not this puppy. This salad is jam-packed with all kinds of goodies like grilled chicken, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, goat cheese, almond slices, quinoa, dried cherries, and probably a whole bunch of other ingredients that you would need to go to Whole Foods to find. Yep, this is a next-level salad, for sure!
Reason #2 – The dressing is a honey vinaigrette, which strikes a great flavor balance of being both sweet and tangy. It’s light and refreshing, yet has a really robust flavor. Plus, the amount of dressing they toss the salad in is perfect so it’s not soggy, nor is it dry.
Reason #3 – The addition of goat cheese is genius in my opinion because it helps to add a “Whoa, what was that!” element of surprise to the flavors as well as the texture of the salad.
Reason #4 – Speaking of the texture, the texture of this salad is really unique because of the huge ingredient list. So, instead of having a texture that’s predominantly leafy, like most salads, this one is super crunchy. If your brain is like mine, then you’re used to associating crunchy foods with good flavor. That being said, this salad tricks my brain every time into going on full-tilt celebration mode as I’m chowing down on it.
Reason #5 – It may be 100% psychological, but I feel like a million bucks after eating this salad! The portion size is perfect, and it fills me up without making me feel sluggish. I’m sure I just lost a ton of man points for gushing over a salad, but I’m going to keep it real for you folks.
Here’s a little tip from your buddy Johnny:
When guests are done paying for their food at the Sunshine Seasons food court, most of them make a beeline for the mass of tables that are sandwiched between the attraction entrances to Soarin’ and Living with the Land. I like a little elbow room when I’m eating, so I make a hard right turn as soon as I’m done paying and head for the seating area beyond the entrance to Living with the Land where it’s often less crowded. My favorite spot is a cluster of about 8 tables that are tucked away in a secluded corner, which are often empty. When I sit down in the middle section of the atrium, it’s so noisy and hectic with all of the guests coming and going from the attractions. So, when I take a few extra steps to go around the corner, it’s like I’m eating in my own little private sanctuary.
Johnny Shortsleeve lives a hop, skip, and a jump from Walt Disney World, so chances are good that you’ll find him hanging out there when he’s got some free time. The dude likes to eat, so he definitely knows his way around the restaurants on property. If Johnny’s not wandering around Walt Disney World, you can find him cranking out cool stuff and giving people high fives at: Facebook.com/JohnnyShortsleeve.
