Salad is nutritious and easy to make.
Twenty million servings of salad are eaten by Americans every week. They are a staple of the North American diet and an easy way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Green salads can be as simple as a garden salad with carrots and cucmber, or a complex tasting gourmet meal.
Edible Flower Salad
Dandelions can be put into a salad mix.
An edible flower salad is a unique idea for a spring or summer meal. Flower greens, such as dandelion leaves, are already an ingredient in many green mixes. Fruit flowers are generally edible. Apple blossoms are edible and so are roses, which are in the same family. Citrus blossoms are another option. Flowers from herb plants are also edible. Some common edible flowers are pansies, peonies, lilac, honeysuckle and clover. Do not use flowers that have been covered in pesticides and be certain of the flower type before using it in a salad.
Protein Salad
Protein can make a salad into a meal.
Adding protein to a green salad is an easy way to make a filling, nutritious meal. Animal-based protein like chicken, beef, pork or fish can be mixed into a salad. Nuts, like walnuts and pecans, are common salad ingredients. You can toast them first or use them raw. You can also flavor them with spices like chili, garlic or onion powder. Avocados are a source of protein and can be diced and added to salad or made into guacamole and used as dressing.
Berry Salad
Berries are not just for fruit salad.
Adding sweet-tasting ingredients is a fresh take on green salad. Add berries like blueberries, blackberries or raspberries and diced fruits like apples and pears to your salad. These fruits complement nuts like almonds, pecans and walnuts. Fruit is also a natural complement to cheeses like cheddar or gorgonzola. Use a balsamic dressing or make your own. Red wine vinegar-based dressings are a good choice. Incorporate fruit juices into the salad dressing to tie the flavors together.
Gourmet Salad
Include gourmet cheese and other ingredients into a salad.
If you are a foodie, or you just love experimenting with new ingredients, you can create a gourmet green salad. Cheeses like brie, asiago and goat cheese are great additions to a green salad. Fruits like pomegranates and figs can be added, and so can candied nuts like pistachios and cashews. Specialty deli meats like prosciutto and chorizo complement salad ingredients like cheeses and tomatoes. Other gourmet ingredients include sun dried tomatoes, capers, olives and infused oils.
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