Power Up Your Salad

Keep Dressings Light
You don’t have to go completely fat free. In fact, we prefer light and reduced-fat dressings over fat-free ones, which tend to contain more sugar and other additives to boost flavor. Newman’s Own and Girard’s, for example, each have a great line of light salad dressings that taste just as good as the full-fat versions. If you want your bottled dressing creamier, add some nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt to thicken it, which also gives you an extra dose of dairy.

Or come up with your own creative combinations. Choose monounsaturated salad oils, such as olive and nut oils, when making your own dressing.

Tasty Toppings

• Grate some carrots to sprinkle over your salad for an extra boost of beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant known to reduce the risk of heart disease, help prevent cancer, and promote good vision.
• Nuts and seeds not only add extra flavor and crunch (especially when toasted), but they also contain heart-healthy fat and are rich in protein and fiber. Choose a small handful of almonds, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, or flaxseed.
• Our staff loves adding edamame (green soybeans) to salads. Look for frozen edamame in the freezer section. You can also find them fully cooked and ready to eat.

Healthy Benefits

• Red and purple grapes and juice contain flavonoids that help reduce cholesterol, protect against heart disease, and promote lung health.
• A small handful of nuts or seeds on your salad can make your meal more filling, helping to reduce hunger pangs and overeating throughout the day.