As the weather gets warmer and summer has finally arrived, it is a good time to introduce some summer salads into your diet. It could be as simple as having a fruit salad every now and again but why stop there. Go on….be more adventurous!
Try these to get you started:
1. Melon and Parma ham – cut a fresh cantaloupe melon into chunks. Cut a couple of slices of Parma ham into thin strips and mix into the melon. Grate a little fresh ginger across the top
2. Exotic Fruit Salad – Chop up a papaya fruit and a mango into chunks. Spoon over some pomegranate seeds across the top and enjoy!
3. Herb Salad – Finely dice a red onion, half a cucumber and 4 tomato skins. Mix in a tablespoon of chopped chives and flat leaf parsley. Add a drizzle of olive oil, mix well and serve as an accompaniment to a meal
4. Garden salad – do a traditional salad with lettuce, cucumber, celery and tomatoes. Spruce it up a little with spring onions and sliced peppers – try orange and yellow ones to add a little colour
5. Waldorf salad – Chop up an apple into chunks, a couple of sticks of celery and a handful of walnuts. Add to a bowl and mix in 4 tsp of low fat mayonnaise. Serve on its own as a starter or light meal.
Salads make a fabulous meal or desert over the summer but be careful what you have with it. If it’s a fruit salad then give the cream or ice cream a miss!! If it’s a veg salad then be careful with the salad dressings – many of them are made with oil making them very high in calories!
