Eight Healthy Salad Toppings

With healthy eating on the minds of so many Americans, even the simplest of dishes, such as the salad, come to mind when one asks “How can I make a healthy salad?” Salads from chain restaurants like Ruby Tuesday and Applebee’s tend to put cheese in every dish of theirs, along with a creamy dressing high in fat and calories. Such a salad sounds downright unappealing, especially if mayonnaise and breadcrumbs tend to be oozing on the top layer of iceberg lettuce. Of course it is much easier to make your own salad, but how does one make it more filling? There are many nutritious things one can add to a salad without mayonnaise, heart attack-inducing cheese, and creamy dressings. Below is a list of toppings you can add to your salad at home for lunch or supper:

Pumpkin seeds.
This is not only a delicious snack – I munch on them all the time – but they are high in protein, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus. They also lower your cholesterol, so pile on these seeds in your salad.

Watermelon seeds.
This is a common snack in the Middle East and especially Iran, where melon is one of the primary fruit crops. Like the pumpkin seeds, they can be eaten roasted or raw, then the shells cracked open. Watermelon seeds will help lower hypertension. Check a Middle Eastern grocery for these delicious seeds.

Grapefruit slices.
Grapefruit is not just for breakfast anymore. It can be cooked with poultry, just like lemon and orange, eaten in a salad, and of course, the juice drunk as a beverage any time of the day. Grapefruit is rich in lycopene, vitamin C, and will lower bad cholesterol. Add some slices on top of your salad.

Pitted fresh cherries.
Cherries have antioxidants, vitamin C, and iron in them. Most everyone loves fresh cherries. Combine some of these along with those grapefruit slices on the greens.

Finely chopped celery.
Celery has fiber, a high water content, with trace amounts of vitamin C. It’s also a filling vegetable, so you can add as much as you need to your salad.

Sesame seeds.
High in iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamins B1 and E, sesame seeds are found in many foods, from hamburger buns to candy. Sesame seeds candy is common in the Middle East and Asia and is quite delicious. They are also high in antioxidants. A liberal sprinkle of sesame seeds on your salad is delicious and will have you wanting more.

Shallots.
Shallots have long been used in French cooking. Related to the onion, this vegetable has a mild, sweet flavor to it. Shallots are high in vitamins A, B6, C, folate, and potassium. Chop up a shallot and sprinkle it over your salad.

Tiny cauliflower chunks.
One of my favorite vegetables (and yours, I hope), cauliflower is a filling vegetable that tastes great both raw and cooked. Cauliflower is surprisingly high in vitamin C, with lower amounts of folate, the B vitamins, iron and potassium. Wash well, then cut up into tiny chunks and toss on top of your salad.

After your toppings are in place, go for a light dressing. Here is a great homemade one to try:

1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup apple cide vinegar
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix well then drizzle onto your salad.

Image Credit: ally j, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.