Build a Better Salad

• Add more dark green leaves like spinach, romaine lettuce, arugula or chicory (not actually familiar with this one) to get the most folate and beta-carotene.
• Mix it up with light green leaves such as iceberg to tone down the bitter taste of the dark leaves.
• Add fruits and vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, brocolli, red and yellow peppers (the author of the article doesn't recommend the green one), carrrots, sprouts (cooked to avoid risk of salmonella and E.coli).
• Limit corn, artichoke hearts, beets and sun dried tomatoes.
• Avoid large portions of dried fruits like cranberries or raisins (too much sugar)
• Stick with fresh fruits like berries, pears, or orange slices.
• Add about 3 ounces of protein like tofu, beans, or chickpeas.
• Limit nuts, seeds, olives, or avocados to about 1/4 cup. They are healthy source of monounsaturated fats.
• Limit cheese to about 4 dice worth (I like cheese so I probably won't follow this, hehehe) and choose low-fat. You can also mix half of regular and half of its low-fat version, or stick to lower fat varieties such as goat and mozarella cheeses.
• If you want carbs, crush 3-4 crackers or baked chips into your salad. (or perhaps baked croutons?)
• Limit dressing to 1-2 tablespoons.
  

Read the full article here.