In my May article, we looked at a variety of leafy greens and the nutrition they provide for a salad base. That’s just the beginning when building a salad. Salads offer a nutritious meal possibility, especially when utilizing summer-fresh fruit and vegetables, which help create interesting textures, flavors and colors. Summer is the perfect time to experiment with mealtime salads. If you are looking for an easy, refreshing, healthy summer meal, start creating salads.

The starting point is a bed of greens. I suggest using a variety of greens that bring in different flavors. Don’t forget to include herbs such as cilantro, basil, parsley or even mint. Once you have chosen the base of greens for your salad, you are ready to decide which fruits and vegetables you would like to incorporate. You can visit a farmers market or the local grocery store and see what looks interesting. Think outside the box. Consider blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, sliced peaches, shredded carrots, sliced radishes, roasted beets, tomatoes, sliced cucumber, broccoli or cauliflower. Consider grilling some vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, asparagus or corn.