Salad Creation 101
A salad can be a nice touch to any meal and can even be a meal on its own. With the right dressing and ingredients, they’ll not only taste great but also provide vitamins and minerals essential for aiding digestion and keeping a healthy immune system.
Salads consist of three parts: the dressing, the leafy greens, and the additional ingredients like fruits, vegetables, and meat. Below is a list of suggested ingredients for each of these three parts. To create your ideal salad use your taste buds and a dash of creativity as you combine different ingredients. And remember, experimenting with fresh ingredients is key!
Salad Dressings – basic ingredients you should have on hand:
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Vinegar (White, Balsamic, Cider)
- Juice (Lemon, Orange, Apple)
- Honey/Sugar
- Fresh Herbs and Spices (Garlic, Tarragon, Chives, Dill, Basil)
- Mustard (Honey, Dijon)
Rather than using one of the unhealthy salad dressings you can buy in stores like Ranch or Italian, make your own dressing! A good base salad dressing is simply olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add juice or herbs for flavor and add honey or sugar if you’d like to make the dressing sweeter. Try different combinations of the above ingredients to find a dressing that suits your tastes.
Salad Greens – what are your choices?
- Spinach – dark green, tasty, and very nutritious.
- Romaine – nutritious, green lettuce leaves with a variety of textures.
- Crisphead – aka iceberg lettuce, greenish white leaves are crisp and watery.
- Butterhead – sweet flavor with large leaves that can easily be removed from the lettuce stem.
- Leaf – red or green curly lettuce leaves with mildly crisp texture.
- Other leafy vegetable like Arugula and Watercress
Use the leaf you most enjoy the taste of or try combining different greens for a more textured salad. And remember the darker green leaves are usually the most nutritious.
Salad Fruits, Veggies, Meats, and More/:
- Fruits – Cranberry, Orange, Avocado, Pear, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry
- Veggies – Tomatoes, Cucumber, Carrots, Peppers, Mushroom, Corn, Onion
- Meats – Tuna, Salmon, Chicken, Bacon, Ham, Beef
- Nuts – Pine, Almonds, Cashews
- Cheese – Feta, Goat, Cheddar, Parmesan
- Other – Hardboiled Eggs, Cottage Cheese, Beans
Add as much to your salad as you’d like. There are no rules here so throw in whatever you’re in the mood for. If you need more protein in your salad try adding eggs, cottage cheese or beans. It’s also a good idea to pair these ingredients with the right salad dressing. For example if you plan to add fruit try using a sweeter salad dressing that contains sugar, honey or fruit juice.
The possibilities are infinite! If you need help coming up with the right combinations check out the Salad A Day website for recommended salad recipes. Bon appetit and have fun!
Sources: www.whfoods.com |
