Mastering the Art of the Salad- by the Nutritionista

Protein, protein, protein! If a salad is your main entrée, it NEEDS TO HAVE protein. With no protein, salad will leave you hungry in an hour or two. Your best bet is lean protein, like tofu crispies or beans/bean salad (beans, lemon juice, olive oil, scallions, salt, and pepper, for instance). You could also try cubed deli meat, leftover chicken or turkey, nuts, tuna fish, hummus, or cottage cheese.

Little cheese goes a long way. Cheese can make salads more filling (and more exciting!), just make sure to use it in moderation. I like using a softer cheese, like goat or feta. They tend to have a stronger taste, so I can crumble just a little into my salad and taste a bit in every bite.

Find a healthy dressing you love and don’t go anywhere without it. My favorite is just plain old olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. If you’re not an oil & vinegar type, try to find dressing without added sugar or HFCS. Newman's Own brand has some great options in their Lighten Up line. For on-the-go dressing, pour some into a sandwich baggie and make sure to fully seal it closed. When you’re ready to eat, cut or tear a small hole in the corner of the bag to dress your salad.

Baby spinach makes a great no-prep “lettuce.” Not only is it more nutritionally rich than most types of lettuce, but if you buy the pre-washed kind, all you have to do is dump it in a bowl. Instant salad base! Have some carbs with your salad. I find that my salads keep me full a lot longer if I eat some whole grain carbs or starch along with them. I often roast a couple whole sweet potatoes as I'm prepping my salad and have a piece on the side or cube it and add it to the mix. Other healthy carb options include toasted whole wheat pita or cooked brown rice. Avoid nutritionally empty croutons and the like.

Make a fatty salad. If you're having salad as your entrée, make sure you include one source of mono- or poly-unsaturated fat on your salad. This gives the salad more staying power. Olive oil in your dressing takes care of this, but other easy options are walnuts, almonds, or avocados. Just watch the portions because these items tend to be more calorie dense.

Don't sabotage your salad. Avoid turning your salad into a way of delivering high calorie foods you wouldn't normally eat. I think it’s so funny when restaurants serve salads with fried onion rings, tortilla chips, or huge amounts of cheese on top under the guise of "healthier options." Sorry, the nutrition-less iceberg lettuce certainly doesn’t cancel out all that other junk, so don’t fool yourself.