Build A Perfect Salad

Building the perfect salad for dinner or lunch is really a simple meal that can be pulled together quickly and taste different each time you make it depending on the season or the variety of ingredients you have on hand.

A healthy take on a DIY meal. It is portable for lunches or it is a perfect dinner idea that accommodates a wide variety of tastes and preferences, and it is low on effort. Once you have your ingredients washed and chopped, everyone can get in on the preparation.

Step One: Pick your greens.  Make sure you include some dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, chard and arugula, along with your romaine lettuce and/or other leaf lettuces. The green stuff is where the nutrients are! Check out How to Choose The Healthiest Salad Greens at greatist.com.

Step Two: Add some protein. Toss on some hard-boiled eggs, broiled tofu, chickpeas, beans or lentils. Use leftover roast meats or tinned tuna or salmon. Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower and hemp, all provide added protein and crunch.

Step Three: Top with a variety of colourful chopped veggies and/or fruits: peppers, cucumber, shredded carrots, radish, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, avocado, mango, peaches, pears, berries. The more variety and colour the better!

Step Four: "Add-ons." This is where you can get fancy: fresh herbs and spices, shredded or soft cheeses (goat, blue and feta are my go-tos), healthy grains, dried fruits, roasted beets, jarred red peppers, artichokes or other vegetables, olives, sun-dried tomatoes or pickled/fermented veggies.

Step Five: Keep it as healthy as possible by making your own dressing. Try a simple 3-to-1 ratio dressing:  3 parts healthy oil to 1 part acid (lemon or lime juice or vinegar) with whatever herbs and spices you like and a little honey, jam or maple syrup to sweeten.

Check out this Salad Dressing Infographic at foodnetwork.com for more inspiration.

The salad pictured above was dressed with my attempt to hack this PC Maple Balsamic Dressing at home.

I whisked 1/2 cup olive oil with a 1/4 cup of white balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (add more to taste), salt, pepper, and a squirt of dijon mustard.