The Loose Women panellist has a distinctive salad recipe she frequently enjoys for lunch at work—here’s what you should know
Ruth Langsford shared her clever ‘upside-down salad’ method with fans, which she enjoys at work to avoid unhealthy foods. The 65-year-old Loose Women star explained that her skill in layering ingredients keeps the salad fresh longer and prevents it from becoming soggy.
In a September Instagram post, Ruth shared a straightforward guide for assembling this innovative salad, which features nine essential ingredients. “So, now I’m going to make what I call my ‘upside-down salad’,” she said at the time, according to SurreyLive.
“So, basically, I put everything in layers in one of these [glass tubs], which means that when I tip it out, the lettuce is on the bottom and everything else that I want is in layers. Anyway, you get the gist.
“So, basically I put kitchen roll in the bottom [of the tub] because then any kind of juices from the tomatoes and cucumber soak a bit into that, so the whole salad doesn’t get soggy. So, that’s the gist, and let me show you how I do it.”
Ruth began her salad by slicing a selection of small tomatoes and onions, unfazed by the slight softness of the tomatoes as she mixed them. She continued: “Tuna on top of that.
“I like tuna in olive oil, maybe a bit more calorific, but I don’t care because I love the taste. One hard-boiled egg, you can put them the other way around, so that when you tip it up the yolks’ pointing up at you. It doesn’t really matter.
“Then some avocado, this is a bit brown, because I actually chopped it last night to use for something else and forgot it. It’s been in the fridge, it’s a bit brown, but it’s fine because it will be covered in salad dressing.
“Black olives, if you like them, I love them. There’s the cucumber – I scraped the seeds out because they are very wet and watery and will make that [salad] go soggy. Cucumber in, and then all I’ve got to do now is put the lettuce on.”
Ruth held her food tub up to the camera, showcasing the various layers of her salad. To elevate the dish, she drizzled her favourite Brianna’s Honey Mustard Dressing, adding extra flavour.
“There you go! That’s tomorrow’s upside-down salad,” she concluded, while adding in the video caption: “I take this to work most days….stops me grabbing unhealthy, processed food.
“Even when you make a healthy choice and buy a salad, in my experience, they’re mostly leaves!! This way you get a good, decent portion salad and you get to put all the things you like in it!”
Beyond its ‘delicious’ flavour, Ruth’s salad boasts a remarkable array of ‘superfoods’. These generally refer to ingredients rich in minerals that provide potential health advantages.
In 2014, the University of Bristol reported that men consuming more than 10 portions of tomatoes weekly had an 18% reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. Nutritionist Helen Bell from Help & Advice echoed this during a discussion with the Mirror, noting that cooking tomatoes could enhance their protective effects.
“There is evidence suggesting that tomatoes might lower prostate cancer risk, largely due to lycopene,” she said. “This antioxidant is thought to reduce inflammation and prevent cancer cell growth. When I’ve looked into it, cooking tomatoes seems to increase lycopene availability, so enjoying them in sauces or soups might be particularly beneficial.”
In addition, experts commend avocados for their rich omega-3 content, a type of healthy fat essential for both brain and heart benefits. Specialists at the US-based University of Rochester Medical Centre previously explained: “Omega-3s are a helpful and important form of fat. Your body needs it but can’t make it. Your body needs two forms of omega fatty acids.
“These are omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 is the most important. Experts believe that omega-3s help prevent coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy people. They also believe omega-3s can slow progress of the disease in those who already have it.”
Complete list of Ruth Langsford’s salad ingredients:
