Buy a pre-bagged mixed salad, pick greens from your garden or get to splitting some lettuce heads and individualize your next salad with my tips and ideas below.

How to put a new spin on the classic salad to give your taste buds a thrill and to perk up your half plate of veggies at the next mealtime.

• Make your own dressing.
• Roast or candy nuts or seeds to add as a topper.
• Add a new protein like cottage cheese, chickpeas, kidney beans, leftover meat, canned fish, TVP.
• Add pickled beets. Trust me!
• Try adding a new type of cheese such as brie, goats cheese or blue cheese.
• Add fruit! Sliced berries, peaches or apples go great in almost every salad.
• Try a new way to “plate up“. If you’re the type of person who prefers salad on a plate try serving it in a bowl, mason jar or wide mouthed martini glass to give your traditional salads an appealing new look.      Dressing recipe mix together 2 tbsp greek yogurt, dash fresh pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar (balsamic or flavoured), 1 tsp lemon or lime juice, 1 tbsp oil (flavoured, EVOO or whatever else you desire)

Another great dressing is 2 parts yogurt, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part oil and 1 fresh sprig of chopped dill.

Fry a small handful of nuts or seeds on medium heat in a pan with honey or maple syrup for 2-4 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool while spread out on tinfoil. For extra spice try adding dried chillies. Break apart the nuts or seeds when cooled and serve atop of your next salad. 

If you’ve recently read in the news that salads are a ‘no-no’ and have minimal nutrients please read a post by my fellow Dietitian friend Diana on this news here: http://bitemywords.com/2015/08/31/you-can-make-friends-with-salad/