Rethink Your Salads
If you're tired of tossed salads or just not a fan of lettuce, try some interesting variations with vegetables, fruits and protein—but no lettuce.
Aug 25, 2017
Apr 24, 2024
Nutrition & MovementHealthyWomen's Copy Editor
Marcia Cronin has worked with HealthyWomen for over 15 years in various editorial capacities. She brings a strong background in copy editing. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in journalism and worked for over two decades in newspapers, including at The Los Angeles Times and The Virginian-Pilot.
After leaving newspapers, Marcia began working as a freelance writer and editor, specializing in health and medical news. She has copy edited books for Rodale, Reader's Digest, Andrews McMeel Publishing and the Academy of Nutritionists and Dietitians.
Marcia and her husband have two grown daughters and share a love of all things food- and travel-related.
Full BioLearn about our editorial policies
Are you getting a little bored with summer salads? Maybe it's time to rethink your salad choices.
A healthy salad is low-calorie, filling and packed with nutrients. But, it can easily become highly caloric, less nutritious or boring, depending on what ingredients you choose.
I've always enjoyed a good salad and am adept at mixing it up to keep things interesting. For a base, I start with lettuce, spinach, arugula or kale. Toppings range from basic cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and peppers to fruits such as strawberries, pears, kiwis and mangos, often with toasted nuts and homemade vinaigrette.
But as I learn about lettuce's environmental impacts on water and energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, I've felt less need to include lettuce in my salads. Price increases due to last year's droughts in the western growing states also discourage lettuce buying—especially since many of us end up throwing out part of it before we can use it all.
To give lettuce its due, almost all varieties have a high water content to help keep us hydrated and they're good sources of vitamin K and chlorophyll. And many varieties are rich in calcium, manganese, potassium, chromium, folic acid and vitamins, particularly B vitamins.
But a salad doesn't always have to include lettuce—or any greens, for that matter. The dictionary defines salad as "any of various usually cold dishes."
In the Thai food culture, the term "salad" relates to the souring agent used to dress the dish—usually lime juice. Thai salads may have cold herbs, vegetables and noodles, mixed with a warm protein such as chicken, pork, beef, seafood or tofu.
Many of us in the South grew up eating cucumber salad, which was nothing more than sliced cucumbers doused in apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper and served cold. Some people add sugar or sliced onion. Any way you make it, it's simple and refreshing.
My summer favorite is what some people call a "plate salad" because it can be spread on a plate, rather than heaped in a bowl. My version includes chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with crumbled blue cheese, seasonings and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's been my go-to lunch all summer, often with tomatoes and herbs from my garden.
It reminds me of authentic Greek salads, which some Americans may be surprised to learn don't include lettuce—just tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, peppers, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, olive oil and oregano. The Italian favorite, caprese salad, features tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese.
These tomato-based salads are great if you can get flavorful, fresh tomatoes, but if you don't live in a year-round farming area, you may be better switching to other types of salad in fall and winter, like kale or spinach salads, both of which may include fruits that are widely available in cool seasons, such as pears, apples and oranges.
Here are some additional recommendations from ChooseMyPlate.gov, a service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture: