Smart Salad Essentials  

It’s much easier to make and enjoy salads on a daily basis when you keep the essentials on hand. You may want to feature a main course salad in your household several times weekly, with a side of comforting soup and avocado toast or whole grain crackers. Be sure to include heathy fat and protein. The following list of salad-related staples will serve you well:

• Fresh greens such as arugula, butter lettuce, Romaine, etc. Buying pre-mixed greens is a useful shortcut
• Organic kale, which you can stem, wash, and dry so it’s ready to chop/massage when you are
• Avocados for salads, and to top toast and crackers
• Zucchini, yams, and parsnips zoodles, which you can buy or spiralize yourself
• Black, white, and kidney beans. as well as legumes like lentils
• Prepared quinoa which offers complete protein and a lovely, nutty flavor. Great for bulking up simple salads
• Cauliflower and/or parsnips grated for “rice” which is a great salad addition
• Beets which can be shredded fresh to top salads (at the end to avoid a pink salad) or baked ahead
• Red and purple cabbage for slaw-style salads, or fill leaves with hummus or tapenade
• Sun-dried tomatoes for a great flavor accent
• Artichoke hearts that are not commercially marinated
• Sprouts and microgreens
• Radishes, which have amazing health properties
• Roasted veggies like onions, butternut squash, beets, fennel, etc.
• Croutons (make your own easy by cutting whole grain bread into squares, tossing in olive oil, herbs, and spices and toasting
• Kalamata olives, or others you like
• Hemp seeds to top salads with tasty, nutty, complete protein
• Raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, honey-roasted peanuts, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds for healthy fat, protein, and tasty crunch
• Whole grain, nut-based, or flaxseed crackers to accompany salads, topped with nut butter, avocado, or hummus

Children are more likely to enjoy healthy food if they helped to prepare it. They may also like to pick what they want, so bring them along to the weekly farmer’s market. It won’t take long to see how this planning can facilitate beautiful daily salads. Enjoy in good health!