Try a Green Salad

Salads are a great addition to any meal. They can be a side dish or a main entrée. They can be plain

or loaded with toppings. Salads can be a great way to add servings of veggies to your day.

The Base

Most salads start with a lettuce base, like romaine or iceberg. Usually the darker green a leafy vegetable is, the more vitamins it has. A great way to add nutrients to a salad is to substitute half the lettuce with another green vegetable. Try making a chopped salad with romaine lettuce and spinach. You can try iceberg lettuce with arugula. Even better, make your own combination!

Add-Ins

After choosing the base of your salad, it’s time to add veggie toppings. There are lots of other green vegetables that are great additions to salads.

Try these add-in’s:

• Green onions
• Green bell peppers
• Edamame
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Celery

Hot or Cold?

Most salads are cold, with the vegetable toppings raw. Cooking vegetables is a great way to make your salad feel like the main course. Try roasting green bell peppers and Brussel sprouts for your next dinner salad! Combining warm and cold food make a dish interesting.

Kids Can Help

Making a salad for a side dish or main meal doesn’t have to be a one-person job. Let the kids wash vegetables like lettuce, peppers and celery. Kids can even help with chopping, but be sure to give them a plastic knife. Learn more about letting kids help in the kitchen here:

Try this recipe for Apple Cranberry Salad Toss

Building a Better Salad

It's no secret that salads are refreshing, nutritious, and delicious  They can help you get your daily servings of vegetables in one meal.  The best part is that a salad can be a 5 food group meal.  You are
in control of how many ingredients to add.

We put together these easy tips to help you build a healthy, yummy salad.

1. Vary your greens. With so many leafy vegetables to choose from, you can keep your salad fresh by varying your base.
• Choose from:  romaine lettuce, arugula, radicchio, and green loose leaf lettuce.  Better yet, mix them all in together!
2. Keep the veggies coming!  Just because you have a base of greens does not mean you cannot add more veggies.  Add color to your salad by including your favorite veggies.
• Cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, sliced bell peppers can all bring flavor, texture, and color to your salad.
3. Try some fruit.  Adding even one fruit to your salad can make it more colorful, delicious, and nutritious.  
• Go for sliced grapes, strawberries, oranges, or blueberries.
4. Don't forget the protein.  Lean protein keeps your body feeling full and energized.
• Remember beans, lean meats, edamame, or tofu are great options for your salad.
5.  Sprinkle some cheese for flavor (optional).  Adding some cheese, such as feta, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese can help boost the calcium in your dish.
• Try a reduced fat cheese!  
6. Go easy on the dressing.  If you choose to bring salad dressing to the party, try a "light" variety, or better yet, substitute lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.
• Dip your fork into the dressing to get the flavor, rather than piling it on top of your salad.