Salad Types

A traditional 'green salad' consists of green leaves, tomato, cucumber and salt. These days, there are numerous types of green salad leaves available in markets, which include several kinds of lettuce, endive, rocket, watercress and spinach, to name a few. The word 'salad' conveys bright colors, different textures, healthy ingredients, herbal flavors, hidden delights of vinegar and dressings, or in short a beautifully designed work-of-art on a plate. You may serve salad at any point during a meal depending on the type of it. Here are some of the main salad types, classified according to the content as well as serving point during meal.

Different Types of Salads

• Appetizer Salads - contain light ingredients which stimulate the appetite as the first course of the meal.
• Side Salads - considered as side dish, come with the entrée.
• Entrée Salads - served as the main dish, which usually are rich in protein, such as chicken breast or slices of beef.
• Palate-cleansing Salads - help to stabilize the stomach after the main course.
• Dessert Salads - sweet versions of normal salads which usually contain gelatin or whipped cream.

Salad Ingredients

There exist several salad types because salad ingredients vary from place to place. Salad is an important part of a weight loss diet and a healthy diet. These days, innumerable types of salad, consisting of different ingredients and dressings are made available everywhere. Salads which are more filling and which are considered as meals, contain pasta, rice, beans, chickpeas, potato, eggs, chicken, beef, other legumes, whole grains, etc. Salads which contain lots of fruits and vegetables are considered as healthy salads. Ingredients used for topping usually include chicken strips, bacon pieces, fruits, seeds and nuts.

Salads are recommended by dietitians as they provide ample vitamins and minerals. For example, lettuce contains powerful anti-oxidants (vitamins A and C) that protect against heart disease and cancer. It is rich in anti-aging vitamins like vitamin K and vitamin C and minerals like calcium, copper, potassium and iron that promote healthy, clear skin, shiny hair and strong nails. Moreover, it is low in calories. Lettuce works great for poor digestion and constipation and also helps with circulatory problems such as fluid retention and cellulite.

If you are on a diet, you should know that bacon bits and croutons contain unhealthy fats. By consuming such food items, the daily calorie intake cannot be reduced. Seeds and nuts are also rich in calories but they are high in protein, antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats that the body needs. Salad ingredients like cheese, cured meats and fried chicken are packed with calories and they also contain unhealthy saturated fats which, if consumed in excess, can cause serious heart diseases. This does not imply that you should always have a plain salad on its own with just a sprinkling of salt. Varieties of salad dressings enhance the taste and flavor of salad ingredients. A low-fat dressing such as lemon juice and vinegar or natural low-fat yogurt mixed with salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice and herbs can make a delicious salad. Low fat versions of cheese should be preferred. Mayonnaise should be avoided as it is highly fattening. Olive oil and cider vinegar would be the best choice for salad dressing.

Following are the most common ingredients that are added to the base of salad leaves:
Avocado, beetroot, cabbage, cucumber, celery, carrot, onion, olives, peppers, radish, sweet corn, tomato, etc.

Some unusual salad ingredients are listed below:
Apple, alfalfa sprouts, almonds, asparagus, raw broccoli or cauliflower, capers, chickpeas, courgette, green beans, gherkin, orange, mango, raisins, grapes, pear, peas, peach, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, kale, rice, leek, bean sprouts, mushrooms, fennel, potatoes, etc.

You may add protein rich ingredients to salads. For example:
Anchovy, bacon, beef, crab, cheese, roast chicken, salami, pastrami, ham, frankfurter, tuna, turkey, sardines, shrimp, hard-boiled egg, salmon, etc.

Types of Green Salad

It is not necessary to include the same old Iceberg lettuce each time you prepare a salad. There are several options available in the market. Do you know that darker green leaves contain up to 50% more beta carotene (which is converted into vitamin A) than paler greens? Here are some commonly used green vegetables:

• Cos or Romaine Lettuce - This lettuce has dark green leaves and is rich in beta carotene.
• Chicory - This is a pale, long leaf vegetable. It is packed with vitamin B. It does have a slightly bitter taste but the crispy leaves make a good texture.
• Curly Endive - It has curly, green leaves with a bitter taste. Inner leaves are comparatively milder in flavor.
• Lamb's Lettuce - It has small leaves and it appears like watercress. Fresh leaves are sweeter in taste. Knowing lettuce types is essential if you want to enjoy different types of salads.
• Radicchio - It looks like a small rad cabbage but it is a red type of chicory. It is bitter in flavor and is usually mixed with other leaves.
• Spinach - Raw spinach has a delicate taste and is packed with iron, potassium, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and K.
• Watercress - It has dark leaves which are rich in iron and calcium. The taste is quite strong.
• Iceberg Lettuce - It has pale green leaves and is not much tasty. Iceberg lettuce contains an important element, folate, which when consumed by pregnant women, helps to avoid birth defects in babies.
• Lollo Rosso - It has green leaves with a red color at the tip. Enormous amounts of flavonoids are present in the red leaves than in any other types of leaves. This makes them one of the healthiest salad leaves. Flavonoids help reduce blood pressure and improve heart-health.

It is not necessary to include numerous ingredients to make the salad healthy. Just two or three ingredients with healthy dressing can turn out to be delicious and mouth-watering. Salads are made attractive by preparing the vegetables and fruits in a variety of ways, for example, chopping, dicing, shredding or cutting into different attractive shapes.

Enjoying a salad before your main meal is beneficial as you become satiated much quicker and are likely to eat less during main course. This helps a lot when you want to lose weight. The salad types which contain unhealthy meats, cheese or dressings should be avoided. Eating a fresh and healthy salad every day, keeps doctor away. As salads have a variety of healthy ingredients, they can protect your body from diseases. Besides improving your overall health, salads give you a glowing look.