Not only are salads packed with vitamins and nutrients, they also make excellent one-dish summer meals. Beci Falkenberg, a chef at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont, shares her tips for building healthy, filling salads.

“You can customize your salad or bowl to your tastes and dietary needs with whatever you have on hand,” says Falkenberg. “Start with greens and grains or noodles; add vegetables, protein, dressing or healthy fat, and fun add-ins for more flavor, crunch and nutrition. Incorporate leftovers, be creative and experiment.”

Start with your base

Start with a base layer of green and grains or noodles.

• Greens: Spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, kale, mixed greens or shaved Brussels sprouts

• Grains/noodles: Quinoa, rice (brown, black, wild), oats, sorghum or buckwheat

Add vegetables

“Think color and pick at least three vegetables or one from each category below,” she says.

• Raw: Shredded carrots, radishes, purple cabbage/cabbage slaw mix, sliced fennel, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, sugar snap peas or cucumbers

• Cooked: Roasted broccoli, onions, cauliflower, eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, Brussels sprouts, or red and golden beets

• Complex carbohydrates: Sweet potatoes, pumpkin or squash (acorn, delicata and butternut)

Pick your protein

Protein helps build lean muscle and keeps you full. Try four ounces of one of the following:

• Beans like black, chickpeas (hummus), cannellini or adzuki

• Chicken

• Edamame

• Eggs (over easy, soft boiled, or chopped hard boiled)

• Lean beef

• Lentils

• Reduced fat cheese

• Seafood (sardines, tuna, shrimp, salmon)

• Tempeh

• Tofu

• Turkey

• Yogurt

Add healthy fats

Healthy fats are essential for good health and help keep you satiated.

Try adding avocado to your salad or drizzle on one of these dressings:

Maple mustard vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon stone ground or Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a wide-mouth jar with a lid. Secure lid and shake well until the vinaigrette is thick and creamy.

Ginger almond dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup almond or peanut butter

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tablespoon olive, avocado or sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos

• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

• 1 clove minced garlic

• Hot chili sauce to taste or cracked black pepper for less spice

Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl; adjust seasoning and water to suit your taste.

Add some fun toppings

Depending on what you’re craving, add a few yummy toppings, such as:

• Something sweet, such as apples, pears, grapes, pomegranate seeds, oranges, bananas, unsweetened dried cranberries, fresh berries, pineapple or mango

• Something crunchy, like toasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, peanuts, slivered or crushed almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, chia or flax seed, or cacao nibs

• Fresh herbs, such as basil, mint, dill, chives, cilantro or parsley (try mixing two)

• Something fermented, like sauerkraut, a drizzle of yogurt or kefir, miso (add to dressing recipe), tempeh or kimchi (fermented vegetables)

Finally, when preparing your salad ingredients, Falkenberg recommends making enough for three meals to maximize your time in the kitchen, giving you more time for summer fun.

Check out more recipes and nutrition tips from Cancer Wellness experts.