When you eat salad, are you turning it into junk food? If the only thing you can do to enjoy is to fill it with bad stuff, that’s not going to do you many favors. Read on for some tips to make your salad better for you.

• Mix it up. Get creative with a variety of salad recipes so you don’t become bored. It doesn’t have to taste like rabbit food!
• Go easy on the dressing. Salad dressing shouldn’t be like soup on your salad. Try spritzing it and mix well. You probably don’t need nearly as much as you’re using. Consider measuring it out if you’re not using a salad spritzer bottle.
• Skip the cheese and the bacon bits. Cheese and bacon bits add a lot of calories to your salad.
• Go easy on the nuts.  Slivered almonds could make your salad crunchy and tasty but avoid a large handful of candied pecans, as this could add hundreds of calories to your salad.
• Adding protein is a good way to make it a meal. But if having meat in your salad, make sure meat is grilled. Avoid breaded chicken salads as these add a lot of unnecessary calories.
• Forget Ceasar salad. This is a salad, yes, but it’s not for those looking for health and wellness or a figure friendly meal. Ceasar salad is more of a cheat meal than a salad for someone watching calories and nutrition.
• Skip the iceberg lettuce.  Iceberg is a common lettuce to put in your salad but it’s not all that nutritious. Try, instead, for a mixture of dark greens for more vitamins and minerals.
• Get color in it. A variety of colorful veggies will add texture, flavor, and nutrition to your salad.
• Go organic. If you can, use organic vegetables. Not only are they pesticide free but they’re better tasting and better for you, too. Organic vegetables are often better from a nutrient standpoint because of the farming practices used.

A salad can be a nutritious, figure-friendly, and delicious meal. Happy Munching!