May is National Salad Month, but by no means is this a sign that you should simply stop at the grocery and pick up a chef's salad! A salad can be complete meal in and of itself, and you'll find with a little bit of research and an understanding of what your body craves, you'll have a great deal of fun designing your own salad and allowing your children to do so as well. Salads are a great natural way to eat healthily, and during the month that is dedicated to them, you should take some time to explore what it is that they have to offer.

The first thing to take a look at is the base of your salad. Don't stop to get iceberg lettuce. In terms of taste and nutritional value, iceberg lettuce is at the bottom of the ladder, and you'll find that things like romaine and spinach are not only better for you, but that they are tasty too. You can also take a word of advice from the Europeans and build up salads using ingredients like tomatoes or bell peppers at the base; good salads don't necessarily need to incorporate lettuce at all!

Next, think about adding a source of protein to your salad. You can do this in a variety of ways, so think about what sounds the best for you. Think about any cuisines that you are fond of, or what type of cooking you like to do. While ham and roasted chicken are great ways to get started when it comes to adding protein to your food, don't forget things like eggs, crab meat, strips of tofu, or even ground beef. The ground beef is a great way to incorporate tex-mex cooking into your salad. Similarly, think about giving the meat a brief cooking in interesting sauces, like sweet and sour sauce or teriyaki.

If you are making a salad, don't forget that one of the most fun things to do is to make your own dressing. While you can get excellent dressings from the grocery store, you'll also find that you can discover great recipes that you can make yourself with some of the ingredients that you have in your home. Vinaigrettes are a great place to start, and you can sweeten them with fruit juice as well, until you get the flavor and consistency that you are interested in.

With National Salad Month on the horizon, take some time to think about what you really want out of your salad, whether that is something as simple as a tomato and mozzarella caprese salad or something altogether more ambitious that includes two kinds of lettuce and three kinds of protein.

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Salads and green vegetables like broccoli are great for your body. Learn more about the benefits of broccoli, or click here for more cooking healthy info.