Truth be told, a lot of us love salads, and that is not only because they are an excellent choice to maintain that beach body. But, as much as we love munching on them, we are hard-pressed when it comes to nailing a tasty bowl of leaves. For our love of salads and with the intention of saving all the dollars we spend on ordering in, we gathered some quality information to put together a perfect salad.

Build with the base

When building your salad base, take a moment to consider more than just the good old lettuce leaves. Of course, they are tasty and crunchy and come in different kinds. But add in some other nutrient-dense and/or bitter greens like kale and arugula leaves. A fresh bunch of herbs like mint, basil, and parsley are as good as any other salad leaves.

Add the rainbow

Stare at the ingredients of your refrigerator’s produce section long and hard. Pick up vegetables in every color to make your salad even more enjoyable. A handful of mushrooms will make up for juiciness. Cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, carrots will all add color and crunch to the salad body. Fruits are a good addition to amp up the colors and flavors.

Fatten it up

An excellent, yummy, flavorful meal comes with a splash and dash of healthy fats. It also adds up substance to the salad and makes it a more fulfilling meal. One of the best healthy fat options that take the salad up quite a few steps is avocado. Avocado adds a different flavor, texture, and substance to the salad, and if you make the right amount, you won’t even need anything else for dinner.

Where is that protein?

The one thing that no meal can do without is protein. So far, we have worked on veggies, fats, and the looks of the salad. But it’s time to take up one of the most essential macros. Adding protein to the salad will take care of maintaining and building up muscle mass and keeping you full for longer. Pick up your favorite protein source among tuna, salmon, chicken, beef, pork, or turkey. Vegans can consume protein in the form of tofu, edamame, beans, legumes, and tempeh.

Making a meal of it

A salad can be had for lunch or dinner. If you are looking for a starch component to the salad, you might want to consider adding whole grains like bulgur wheat, brown, black, or red rice, quinoa, and buckwheat. Alternatively, if you want your salad to be grain-free with extra fiber, use root veggies like sweet potato.

Cheese it up!

Do not talk yourself out of adding the cheese to your bowl of salad. Everything is healthy if you are consuming it in moderation. If you are afraid the cheese will spoil your salad, you cannot be more wrong. Go ahead and crumble it or grate it all over your salad without going overboard with your cheese-y love.

Don’t fret the crunch

Croutons are a candid way to say you won’t compromise on your favorites for health and that you know how to balance things and keep it interesting. Of course, if you want to get a little more adventurous with it, add in bacon strips for the crunchy bites of grease.

Carefully add the dressing

While we want to get experimental with the dressing, it is one of the most common places to go off track. Try keeping things simple and not so calorie-loaded. One pro tip: test your salad by tipping a salad leaf in it and tasting.

Seed your way ahead

Here’s an idea not many will approve of but trust us when we say this, nuts and seeds taste so good in the salad. Toasted seeds and nuts add flavor, aroma, crunch, and texture to the salad. And if done right, it adds an excellent value to the nutrients of the salad.

Season it all

Salads have a lot of components to them. There are leafy, raw, cooked, and juicy vegetables. Add into it the nuts and seeds, fats, protein, and everything under the roof you want to add to the bowl, and you will have a bowlful of heaven. But the one thing that makes your salad even more delicious is the seasoning. Seasoning everything is vital. Do not leave out the nuts and seeds, or leaves, or even the dressing. When putting everything together, you want the salad to be your culinary masterpiece because why not? Therefore, make sure you season, toss and taste till perfection is achieved.