Building a Great Salad

Use this versatile guide to make a great salad with whatever’s in your kitchen!

1. Start with your favorite greens – try some new ones too

   Soft, flavorful spring greens: Arugula, spinach, chard, mustard or beet greens

   Crisp, low-calorie greens: Bibb lettuce, romaine lettuce, or other leaf lettuces; sliced cabbage, radicchio, or endive, to add crunch without calories.

2. Add a variety of flavors/nutrients with roasted or raw vegetables from each color category

   Red: Tomato, radishes, chopped red onion, sliced red peppers, cubed beets

   Orange: Shredded or thinly sliced carrots, slivered orange peppers,

   Yellow and White: Diced sweet onion, quartered yellow tomato, sliced yellow beets, quartered or sliced mushrooms, finely chopped shallots, cauliflower, whiteasparagus,

   Blue or Purple: shredded purple cabbage, slivered purple peppers, eggplant, blueberries

   Green: Thinly sliced green onion, chopped green tomato, chilled peas, broccoli, seeded and sliced cucumber (skin removed), Brussels sprouts, diced celery.

3. Add healthy fat to be more satisfying – use reasonable serving sizes

   Olive Oil: 1-2 tablespoons

   Nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, etc): 10-15 nuts depending on size

   Seeds (sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds): 1-2 tablespoons

   Avocado Oil: 1- 2 tablespoons

   Olives: 5 -10 olives

   Avocado: ¼ to ½ of an avocado

4. If using salad as main course, add protein to stay fuller for longer, and build muscle

   Meat: Leftover lean steak, grilled chicken or turkey, shredded roast pork, seasoned extra lean ground turkey, sliced deli roast beef

   Seafood: Salmon, tuna (fresh or canned), shrimp, sardines, anchovies

   Cheese: Mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, feta, gorgonzola, bleu cheese, etc.

   Hard boiled egg

Deli meats – not the healthiest – be careful here and look for “no preservatives”

Add fresh chopped herbs for flavor (or dried herbs)

• Tarragon

• Chives

• Basil

• Cilantro

• Parsley

• Dill