Eat Your Greens . . . May is National Salad Month

Feeling bloated, weighed down and stuffed from all those burgers you’ve already crammed down your pie hole this month? Don’t worry—despite your highly carnivorous wanderings, you can still redeem yourself and counteract these early bouts of gluttony because not only is May National Hamburger Month, but did you know it's also National Salad Month? Whodathunkit.

Now you can be as creative as your heart desires as you incorporate salads every day of the month into your healthy eating regime. Your body needs the roughage so why not make it an enjoyable and flavorful treat.


Don’t be fooled into believing that a salad is simply a bunch of lettuce tossed together with a dab of dressing. Oh contraire, the modern salad can be so much more sophisticated with ingredients that run the gamut from fruit to nuts, or meats, seafood or pasta and more.

But let’s not discount the beauty of the greens in a salad. While some can tend to go overboard on a salad, glopping tons of rich, creamy dressing on top of the monstrous concoction, the base of any good salad—the greens—is where you’ll find your nutrients.

Fresh fixins for a salad

Not only are they a good source of fiber, but as a loose rule the darker that the leaves are in color, whether green or red or shades in-between, the higher the concentration of essential vitamins and minerals that exist in the leaves. So think past iceberg and consider the following:

·         Boston

·         Romaine

·         Bibb

·         Celtuce

·         Butterhead

·         Romaine

·         Spinach

·         Arugula

·         Mâche (a/k/a corn salad), or

·         Watercress

The wonderful thing about a salad is its versatility. It can be something as simple as a starter or side dish, or elaborate enough to serve as the main course.

Not sure what kind of salad to have during National Salad Month? Check out SaladADay.org for edible ideas.

Now put down that hamburger, toss out those greasy fries and indulge in a fresh salad!