Featuring wholesome foods, the Paleo-inspired salad at Gung Ho! Pizza is a hearty fill for the nutritious-minded. Photos: Courtesy of Gung Ho! Pizza

With the joy of summer comes the need to bare arms, legs and shoulders - and sometimes even tummies - to escape the heat. Though the season can add an extra stress to the challenge of appearing stylish while fit, the proper diet to trim leftover winter fat from the waistline can help.

Fresh salads offer a tasty and nutritious meal option, low in carbs and high in fiber, while battling unwanted bulges. To get your body ready for a season of hot looks, the Global Times provides inspiration with some of the tastiest and healthiest salads around, creations made by popular chefs in Beijing.

Chicken sesame 



Chicken salad is certainly the most popular option for meat-eating weight watchers in summer. Henry Sun, executive chef with Pentahotel Beijing, has been dedicated to making the most refined Chinese and Western cuisine for the last 20 years. Sun has redesigned the chicken salad with a special soy-sesame dressing to keep it tasting light and airy. This dish hinges on balancing out the sweet and salty flavors.


Mixed lettuce 12 g 

Rice noodles (soak in warm water until soft) 50 g   

Cherry tomatoes 40 g 

1/2 boiled egg (sliced) 

Sliced roast chicken leg 120 g (Marinate the chicken leg with salt, minced garlic and white pepper for 30 minutes and oven roast for 20 minutes at 160C)  

Chef Sun's soy and sesame dressing 35 ml (for 5 servings: tomato ketchup 20 g, Oyster Sauce 10 g, sweet soy sauce 5ml, sesame oil 5 ml; sugar 5 g, rice wine vinegar 3 ml, chopped ginger 2 g, vegetable oil 10 ml)

Sliced cucumber 20 g      

Shallot 10 g (deep fry until crispy)  Shredded carrot 10 g

Mix the dressing well into the vegetables before topping with slices of roast chicken leg.

Quinoa delight 



This unconventional leafy mixture incorporates a hint of cumin, leaving a pleasant exotic surprise on the tongue. Created by chef Daniel Urdaneta at MODO restaurant for the season, it's inspired by Spanish flavors, perhaps a result of Urdaneta's time spent in Latin America and Spain before Beijing.

Quinoa (can mix red and white for maximal nutrition and colors) 300 g

Red beans 100 g

Olive oil 150 ml

Juice of 1 lemon

Vinegar 2 tsp

1 garlic clove

Lettuce 40 g

2 tomatoes

I cucumber

1 small handful chopped cilantro (vary depending on preference)

2 spoon raisins

2 spoon pine nuts

Salt, pepper and cumin (adjust according to taste)

Cook the quinoa in boiling water for 5 minutes, then strain and let it cool. If you like quinoa more soft, cook for up to 10 minutes.

Prepare the salad dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, cilantro, salt, pepper and cumin. Chop garlic, tomatoes and cucumber finely and let them rest in the salad dressing. Add some dry light colored raisins and red beans. Place the leaves at the bottom and throw the mixed ingredients on. Sparkle pine nuts on top.

Paleo craze 



A modern take on the Paleolithic or "caveman diet," this salad incorporates origins dating back to the habit of our ancient ancestors from more than 2 million years ago. It includes game meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruit, eggs and nuts - a meal high in animal fat and protein.

The idea is to achieve strong physical health through natural foods rather than processed ones. A signature salad of Gung Ho! Pizza, the hearty portion is designed by founder and CEO of True Run Media Mike Wester, who lost some 35 pounds during a three-month physical challenge with the aid of a Paleo diet.

Lettuce 70 g

Spinach leaf 30 g

Sliced cucumber 50 g

Sliced yellow pepper 25 g

Red onions 25 g

Beef 60 g

Walnut 20 g

Flaxseed 3 g

Cider vinegar 50 g

Cherry tomato 60 g

Slice and grill the beef in a frying pan, seasoning with salt and black pepper. Mix the vegetables well and top with the beef.

Italian-style seafood fare



A salad accented by seafood provides a high source of protein while keeping fat intake to a minimum. Simon Ma, chef of Café Noir at Traders Upper East Hotel, shares his latest creation, a well presented dish that caters to the refined palette.

Though one downside is that it requires a little more time in the kitchen to prepare,  one succulent bite into this meal will tell you that it is well worth the wait.

3 scallops

2 shrimps

Eggplant 20 g

Thyme leaves 20 g

Potatoes 50 g

Juice of half a lemon

Watermelon and sweet melon cubes 10 g (for decoration, optional) 

Boil the scallop and shrimp and then marinate with salt, white pepper, minced thyme leaves and lemon juice for about an hour and a half. Boil the potatoes until very soft, then mash with mayonnaise. Cut the eggplants into thin pieces and then grill ever so slightly on a frying pan. Arrange the mashed potato in a mound before placing the marinated scallop and shrimp on top. Encircle the mashed potato with eggplant and spread the watermelon and sweet melon pieces around the plate for decoration.