Have a Salad Meal - Ideas for You!

We are not talking about ripping open a bag of iceberg lettuce, we are talking about really looking at your supermarket fresh produce (or farmer's market) - and buying a few things to wake up your tastebuds!

Try a bag a mixed mesculan or other greens. Add some spinach leaves! Toss in some dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. (about a tablespoon of each). Add a little blue cheese, or feta, slice a couple of radishes, tomatoes, or carrots for some color. Finish off with a favorite vinagrette dressing (just a little!)

Another spring favorite: start with the same greens as above, but add fresh sliced strawberries, blueberries, some toasted pecans, a few slices of red onion and some cubed sharp cheddar, drizzle with a sweet onion dressing.

Grab that bag of spinach leaves...add some sliced avocado, grilled chicken breast, red onion, and finish with balsamic dressing.

Don't be afraid to try a few new things in those salads! mandarin oranges. yellow tomatoes. cucumbers. green onions. hard boiled egg. almost any semi-hard or hard cheese. sprouts. zucchini. peppers. olives. The key is to use a lot of greens, and go light on the extras and dressings. One serving size of most vegetables is 1/2 cup. But leafy greens are one cup. And it does not hurt to have more than one cup, just keep the extras on the skimpy side. Aim for 5-7 servings of vegetables per day.