| Pre-prepared, bagged salads might be convenient but | | | | make your salad more interesting. |
| they work out much more costly than making your | | | | You might like to add a handful of seeds and nuts, |
| own salad recipes. Also, it can be fun to create your | | | | such as cashews, walnuts, sliced almonds, pecans, |
| own salads and choose which salad toppers to use. | | | | pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. These add |
| The first thing to do is to begin with the basics, and | | | | nutrients as well as crunch. Fruit adds a sweetness to |
| that would be the salad leaves. | | | | the dish and you can use fresh or dried fruit. |
| You might like to use iceberg lettuce for its crunch or a | | | | Raisins, dates, and cranberries work well if you want |
| round lettuce for more flavor. Hearts of romaine | | | | to use dried fruit, or fresh fruit like pear, apple, or |
| lettuce and baby salad are nutritious and tasty. | | | | orange segments can be good. Bear in mind though |
| Perhaps you fancy combining cabbage with lettuce, or | | | | that fruit should be added at the last minute because it |
| adding some arugula to the mix. Toss the leaves | | | | can make the salad soggy or turn brown. |
| together well and arrange them in a big salad bowl. | | | | Meat and Fish Salad Toppers |
| Cheese Salad Toppers | | | | You can add tasty meat salad toppers like turkey, |
| There are many different cheeses to choose from if | | | | bacon, ham, or salami, or fish ones such as shrimp, |
| you want to add creaminess to your salad. Try a | | | | tuna, or smoked salmon. A Caesar salad can be |
| smooth mozzarella, a sharp cheddar, a rich blue | | | | improved by adding grilled chicken slices, as well as |
| cheese, or a crumbly feta. | | | | crumbled bacon. |
| You can make a Greek salad with feta if you also | | | | Perhaps you want to make your salad into an entree |
| add black olives or an Italian salad with mozzarella if | | | | by adding meat to it. Top a bed of lettuce with red |
| you add some basil and cherry tomatoes. Experiment | | | | kidney beans, seasoned ground beef, shredded |
| with cubes of cheese, grated cheese or crumbled | | | | Mexican blend cheese, tortilla chips and salsa and you |
| cheese and perhaps combine more than one type. | | | | have a tasty taco salad. |
| Cheese adds color to your salad, along with the | | | | You can plan your salad toppers ahead of time. For |
| vegetables to add to it, as well as plenty of delicious | | | | instance, if you are frying bacon for breakfast, fry a |
| flavor and a texture, which contrasts well with the | | | | couple of extra slices to use on your salad in the |
| other salad ingredients. | | | | evening. If you are boiling eggs to make lunchtime egg |
| Garden Salad Toppers | | | | sandwiches, boil an extra one for a salad the following |
| Green onions, celery, bell peppers and tomatoes are | | | | day. |
| very popular salad additions but you might want to try | | | | If you are cooking meat or fish, you could cook extra, |
| adding a few different ones, such as kidney beans, | | | | so that you will have some left over for a salad recipe. |
| garbanzo beans, pimento-stuffed olives, avocado, | | | | If you do this, you will find your tasty salad takes mere |
| peas, shredded carrots, or corn. These ingredients can | | | | minutes to put together because you already have the |
| be combined in terms of color, as well as texture, to | | | | ingredients prepared. |