National salad month

As if we need an excuse to enjoy a big bowl of veggies, fruits, and other goodies tossed together, May is National Salad Month. Grab your best greens and follow these tips and tricks for making a tasty and healthy salad.

Creative Ways to Build a Salad

• Hitting the salad bar can be a good thing when you know the best way to navigate through all those choices. To maintain a healthy medium, follow our tips for crafting a healthy meal at the salad bar.
• Get inspiration from other countries or cuisines known for being healthy. Start your week off with these easy ways to craft a heart-healthy Mediterranean salad, and give yourself a little longevity with these tips for making a Japanese-inspired salad.

Not All Toppings Are Created Equal

• Candied walnuts, gobs of cheese, and bacon may taste good, but they also add a lot of unnecessary fat and calories. If you're not careful, then you might end up with a 700-calorie (or higher) salad! Skip unhealthy ingredients by using our smart swaps for salad toppings.
• How you dress your salad matters too — ranch, blue cheese, or maybe a vinaigrette? The next time you're shopping, pick up one of these salad dressings with less than 50 calories.

A Little Recipe Inspiration

• We love that creating a salad is as easy as throwing whatever ingredients you may have in a bowl, but a put-together recipe makes all the difference. Try one of these recipes for a vegetarian salad or one of these seasonal salads inspired by Summer ingredients.

While I find a simple bowl of leafy greens doused in a zesty vinaigrette to be gratifying, lately I've been opening up to the deliciousness of salad add-ins that can transform a fresh side dish into a full-blown meal. Below are some of my favorite additions.

Toasted Nuts
It's amazing what toasted nuts can add to a salad. A handful of almonds quickly toasted in a pan adds a layer of warmth and crunch to an otherwise one-note dish. I recommend almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, and peanuts.

Flavorful Plant-Based Ingredients
For a kick, incorporate flavorful ingredients like capers or sun-dried tomatoes. Go easy on these though, because a little goes a long way and too much can completely overpower your salad. Olives and pepperoncini also add a lot of flavor and complement salads beautifully.

Quinoa
Cook a batch of quinoa early in the week and use it in your salads for days to come. Quinoa adds heft and texture to salads, not to mention the fact that it makes them more nutritionally substantial.

Find more ideas when you keep reading.