Whether you’re trying to eat healthier or just lightening up your meals as the weather warms, salads are incredibly popular this time of year. But there’s no need to settle for a boring pile of greens. Here’s how to take your salads to the next level and turn them into a filling, satisfying, complete meal.
Mix up the greens. Try different blends for your greens; different colors pack a different nutritional punch. Butter and iceberg lettuces deliver a great crunch, while arugula or spinach add a deep flavor. Try something new and see how it changes your salad!
Add in some herbs. Fresh herbs add interesting flavor and more visual interest to your salad. Mix some herbs into classic salad greens to make it a little more upscale.
Include protein. The options here are endless! Include grilled chicken, steak, pulled pork, bacon, ham, boiled eggs, grilled tofu, sliced sausage, cooked quinoa, or your favorite fish.
Add crunch. This is how you can really make your salad stand out. Add candied nuts, seeds, cooked and crumbled bacon, tortilla strips, or packaged salad toppings like cheese crisps.
Incorporate color. You eat with your eyes first, so make sure you love the way your salad looks. Add red onion, bell peppers, shredded carrots, cheese crumbles, berries, roasted butternut squash, or any other colorful veggies to pack an extra nutritional punch and make your salad look like a work of art.
Make your own dressing. Sure, you can buy dressing. But making it is super easy. Just mix together oil, acid, herbs, and seasonings and you’ve got a fresh, simple, and inexpensive dressing that will beat out the store-bought stuff any day. Here’s a master formula to get you started, but we think this bacon vinaigrette would be amazing.
Dress the greens first. Don’t go light on the salad dressing – it’s what ties your whole salad together! The added fat in the dressing is good for you, too; it’s necessary to absorb all the nutrients from your greens. Dress your greens before assembling your salad to make sure the flavor is incorporated throughout the whole bowl.
Fletcher’s has some great options to help boost the flavor and appeal of your salads. With four varieties of bacon, fully cooked franks and bratwurst, ham, and fresh sausages, there’s something for every palate. With Fletcher’s, you can have a different salad every night and never get bored!
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