Salads make a great side dish or a meal on their own. Try adding plenty of colors and a variety of food groups to salads. Not only do color and variety make salads tastier, they make them healthier and a great way to use foods you have on hand.

Choose one or more ingredients from the first three columns. Fruit and toppings can be added, if desired.

Leafy Vegetables Raw Chopped Vegetables Protein Fruit Toppings

Use plenty

 As much as you like 1/2 cup per serving 1/2 cup per serving 1 Tablespoon/Serving
  • Artichoke
  • Beet greens
  • Collards
  • Cabbage
  • Chard
  • Dandelion leaves
  • Endive
  • Escarole
  • Garden cress
  • Arugula
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Mustard greens
  • Romaine
  • Spinach
  • Swiss chard
  • Turnip greens
  • Avocado
  • Bell pepper (yellow, green, or red)
  • Bok choy
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Broccoli
  • Carrot
  • Cauliflower
  • Corn
  • Cucumber
  • Green bean
  • Jicama
  • Mushrooms
  • Onion
  • Peas
  • Radishes
  • Tomatoes
  • Canned beans
  • Canned salmon
  • Canned meats
  • Chicken
  • Cooked beans
  • Cooked chicken
  • Cooked pork
  • Cooked turkey
  • Hard cooked eggs
  • Tofu
  • Tuna fish
  • Apple
  • Blueberries
  • Mandarin oranges
  • Pear
  • Pineapple
  • Strawberries
  • Raisins or other dried fruit
  • Raspberries
  • Chinese noodles
  • Cheese, grated, crumbled, or cubed
  • Cooked whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc.)
  • Cracker crumbs, croutons
  • Nuts (Almonds, walnuts, etc.)
  • Olives
  • Seeds (Sunflower, pumpkin, etc.)

Favorite Combinations

When putting together a salad, use what you have on hand. Be creative! Any combination of foods can be used. Salads can be easily personalized to suit every member of the family.

 
Leafy Vegetables
Chopped Raw Vegetables
Protein
Fruit
Toppings
Dressing
Cobb Salad
Romaine lettuce
Tomato, avocado
Hard cooked egg, chicken
-----
Bacon bits, blue cheese
Vinaigrette
Chef's Salad
Romaine, spinach, or other leafy green
Broccoli, tomato
Strips of chicken, ham, roast beef, hard cooked egg
-----
Croutons, sunflower seeds
Your choice
Spinach Salad

Spinach leaves
Thin-sliced red onion, sliced mushrooms
-----
Sliced strawberries or mandarin oranges
Sliced almonds
Vinaigrette
San Jose Salad
Romaine lettuce
Sliced red onion, avocado
Sautéed pecans
Sliced green apples
Feta cheese
Optional: vinaigrette
Greek Salad
Romaine lettuce
Artichoke hearts, siced red onion, tomato, cucumber
Cubed chicken
-----
Feta cheese
Juice from artichoke hearts with a pinch of garlic powder or basil

Italian Style Kidney Bean Salad
-----
Chopped zucchini, tomato
Cooked kidney beans
-----
Cubed mozzarella, Monterey jack
Italian dressing

Featured Recipes

Apple Salad

Wash the apple and vegetables.Collect, dice, grate, and measure all ingredients beforestarting to prepare the recipe.Toss apples with lemon juice in a bowl.Add celery, carrot, and raisins.Stir yogurt into the rest of the ingredients.Cover. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving to allowthe flavors to mix together. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Eat within 3 to 5days.

apple salad

Simply Snazzy Salad

Place greens, carrots, cranberries, and walnuts into a large mixing bowl.In a small bowl, add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and honey. Mix ingredients together using a fork or whisk until smooth and evenly combined.Right before serving, pour dressing over the salad in the large mixing bowl. Gently toss the salad to coat all the ingredients.

 

 

A snapshot of the Invent a Salad factsheet printable PDF

Printable PDF

A printable version of our Invent a Salad factsheet can be viewed here.