I’m usually pretty intentional about what I eat — but even the healthiest routines can slide into a few too many ‘little treats.’ Eating at home more often had its perks, but I realized I’d started leaning on comfort foods I wouldn’t normally reach for. Nothing wild — just a few habits that didn’t feel aligned anymore.
So I reframed. Not a diet, not a cleanse — just a return to clean, beautiful meals that feel as good to look at as they do to eat. I started treating meals like spa dining at home instead of falling into the “ugh, I guess I should be healthy” trap.
One of my go-to sources for inspiration? Donna Hay. She has a gift for healthy recipes that are beautifully styled and deceptively simple. Case in point: her elevated take on the Waldorf Salad. I remember the old-school version from childhood — all mayo, mush, and occasionally a rogue marshmallow. Donna’s version is crisp, elegant, and refreshingly modern.
It’s a quiet reminder that healthy doesn’t have to be harsh — and eating well can feel like a luxury, not a sacrifice.I remember eating the retro version as a child, but even then feeling like it was extremely dated- all diced, mayonnaisy and tired, often with marshmallows and usually in the company of a congealed salad of some sort. Hay’s version of Waldorf breathes new life into the old classic with healthy substitutions and omissions (<—Im talking to you, marshmallows~).
Waldorf Salad, Reimagined
To make the blue cheese dressing, place the mayonnaise (or plain yogurt if you prefer), lemon juice, water, salt, pepper and blue cheese in the bowl of a food processer and process until smooth. Spoon some dressing onto each plate and in a circular motion gently swirl it in the center of the plates. Arrange the apple in a stacked way that creates a little height in the center of the plate. Add the celery and walnuts around and on top of the apples, with optional extra dressing on the side.
Ingredients
- 4 Granny Smith (green) apples, thinly sliced
- 1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 cups of watercress sprigs, large stems removed
- 1/4 cup of whole-egg mayonnaise (can be substituted with full fat plain yogurt)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp water
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup soft blue cheese, chopped
While this salad — even with its upgraded ingredients — could’ve easily leaned into that retro, “ladies who lunch” look, the truth is: presentation changes everything. And sometimes, all it takes is better knife skills and the right tools to turn a throwback into something totally fresh.
Enter my latest obsession: the Cutluxe Artisan Series Utility Knife. It’s 5.5 inches of slicing perfection — the ideal size, perfectly weighted, and designed with an ergonomic pakkawood handle that feels luxe without the luxury price tag. At $37.99 (linking to a discounted price below), it’s honestly outperforming some of my much pricier knives.
Made with hand-sharpened, high-carbon stainless steel and full tang construction, this thing means business. It delivers those super-thin, consistent slices that make even a humble apple or celery stalk look like it belongs in a Donna Hay photoshoot.
Moral of the story: a modern salad deserves a modern tool — and this one’s a game-changer.
These knives make a surprising difference – I recommend a knife upgrade if you are open to it.
You can get a better deal for this utility knife here.
Be sure to look into their entire selection because all of the Cutluxe collections are beautiful and extremely well made.
If you want to see more of Donna Hay’s healthy, beautiful recipes, I recommend this book:
Another favorite salad update is this Salmon Caesar Salad.
This post contains a paid promotion for Cutluxe. As always, all opinions (and knife obsessions) are my own.
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