Looking for the most nutritious options for your salad? Hoping to branch out from your typical iceberg lettuce and tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette routine at lunch? Hackley’s salad bar has options to please the pickiest and healthiest eaters within our community.

The key to building a nutritious salad with is starting with a strong foundation: the lettuce. Skipping iceberg lettuce and choosing baby spinach, a spring mix, kale or mesclun green will dramatically increase the number of nutrients within the lettuce itself. These greens also contain folic acid and lutein. For only 20 calories per two cups, these tasty yet nutritious bases are no brainers that increase the health benefits of your salad from the get go.

The salad bar has countless vegetables, from broccoli to peppers, and all of them make healthful additions to a salad. At 25 calories or less per half cup serving, adding vegetables is a must. Carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, and red onions all contain vitamins A, C, and fiber to support a healthy immune system and protecting cells from damage by free radicals. Vegetables also add flavor to a salad, so picking flavorful veggies not only add nutrients but also make a salad more enjoyable.

Finding a protein is vital to a wholesome meal. A lean meat can provide necessary protein, but for those on a plant based diet like Upper School Spanish teacher, Diane Remenar, protein in the form of hearty grains is a must. “Quinoa, cous cous, and a harvest grain mix are all great sources of protein.” To support the necessity of protein, Senior Director of Dining Services, Marco Morales, says that, “We try to include at least one whole grain salad option at the salad bar per day.” Three quarters of a cup of chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, or even half a cup of tofu also provide beneficial proteins. Skip fatty meats like salami or any protein fried or in a heavy sauce, as these detract from the nutritional potential of a salad.

Getting creative with salad toppings keeps things interesting. Ms. Remenar sometimes adds avocado on top of her salad. “I use it as a dressing almost. It has nutrients but also flavor.” Strawberries, apple slices, and avocado have enough flavor to take the place of a dressing, but still taste great and are low in calories.

Dressings are the finishing touch to a salad. Occasionally when not personally preparing salads, they can get doused in dressings laden with oils and fats that take away from the nutritional value of a salad. Ranch dressing has almost 100 calories in one tablespoon, whereas one tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette weighs in at about 80 calories. Sticking to lighter dressings, like vinaigrettes, olive oil, or even lemon juice can save a salad.

If you’re in a hurry, the Dining Hall’s popular and tasty pre-prepared salads are your best bet. Mr Morales says, “We decide what to include on the menu based on what’s popular and what is in season.” Roasted beets salad as well as apple and blue cheese salad will provide enough nutrition and taste to make every Hackley healthy eater happy. Salad is a healthy choice choice and, when constructed properly, has numerous health benefits while still being tasty.