The more vibrant in color the better! Colors in foods often showcase the different nutrients the plant contains. Greens vary by taste and crunch, so try a bunch of different varieties and even try mixing them together! Check out this website (https://www.freshexpress.com/guide-to-greens) to learn more about taste and texture of commonly purchased greens.
Vegetable Additions
Do you like sweet? Try red bell peppers.
Do you like savory? Try mushrooms.
Do you like extra crunch? Try cauliflower or broccoli cut up into small pieces.
Healthy Carbohydrate Additions
Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are commonly found on salad bars. Black beans are a nice touch to a taco themed salad. There is no reason you can’t use canned pinto beans from the back of your pantry to add to your salad! You can even add corn kernels or green peas to your salad!
Protein Additions
Garbanzo beans, black beans, pinto beans can be used as your source of protein too! Why not try canned tuna, grilled chicken strips, salmon, or grilled shrimp on top for protein? Cheese can be a protein on a salad as well, try ¼ cup low fat cheddar cheese!
Healthy Fat Additions
Is avocado your thing? Stick to just ¼ of the fruit for one serving. How about nuts? A serving of those omega-3 boosters is about ¼ cup. Sunflowers seeds for some crunch? Stick to about ¼ cup of these as well.
Dressing
Do you need dressing or will your toppings provide enough flavor? Taste your salad before you add dressing. If you need some dressing, try 1 tablespoon of vinegar (red wine, balsamic, etc.) and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. If you prefer bottled dressing, try using 2 tablespoons of yogurt based dressing, found in the refrigerated produce section of your grocery store! The yogurt based dressings often have less fat and more protein than traditional bottled salad dressings.
