Spring Made Salads

     In the next couple of months, farmer’s markets all around the state will be reopening for the new season of wonderful fresh vegetables. One of the first crops to be harvested in the spring months is lettuce. I know that you can buy lettuce year round in the grocery stores, but getting fresh from the field and not a product that has been in holding coolers for a week or more is unbeatable.

     Lettuce is a fat free, low calorie, and saturated fat free food. It is a valuable source of Vitamin A and folic acid.  With that said, instead of the consummate side or starting dish why not make your salads the center point of your meal.  Eastern North Carolinians have a love relationship with their grills and this is the perfect opportunity to marry your grilling with some wonderful fresh greens.

     A couple of suggestions that we have for you is to top your salads with different proteins like marinated grilled chicken breasts, shrimp, or even steak. Simply grill your meats to your liking, slice, then mix it in with the rest of your vegetables and crispy green or red lettuce.  Another way to move your salads from the drab side dish to main dish is to add other items from the food pyramid, besides the meats and bounty of fresh vegetables we normally see. You could also try nuts, beans, or even eggs, I mean what is a spinach salad without hard boiled eggs? Sprinkle some cheese on top for your dairy and some crunchy croutons for your bread.  While some of these additions are higher in fat than others, just use small amounts (about 1 tablespoon) for the extra flavor without a lot of extra calories.

     Salads are what you make of them, in fact you can get your all your colors of the food pyramid for fruits and vegetables on one plate or bowl. Also, remember to never drown your salads in high fat dressings, it only kills the wonderful flavors of the proteins and vegetables by coating your palate with fat from these dressings. A good rule of thumb is one tablespoon of dressing to every one and a half to two cups of lettuce.