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Hot summer days are the perfect time to have salads.  By adding a few extra ingredients you can make a simple salad into a perfect summer meal.  Salads need not begin with lettuce,  try diced vegetables, fresh fruit, herbs and spice to add interest and texture. Add fresh shrimp, nuts or chicken for a source of protein.  Choose a theme such as Thai, Italian or Greek to keep salads interesting and different.  Try the following combinations for great summer salads with a twist and added health bonus.

Greek Orzo salad with chickpeas:  Make a Greek salad with diced peppers, cucumber, tomato, purple onion, kalamata olives and feta.  Add cooked orzo and a tin of rinsed chickpeas.

Health Bonus: Chickpeas add a great vegetarian protein option as well as extra fibre

Thai Salad with Papaya: Diced cucumber, red pepper, papaya, blanched green beans, cilantro and toasted peanuts.  Serve this with a lime juice, peanut oil, sugar and fish sauce dressing.

Health Bonus: Papaya is rich in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant

Italian Arugula salad: Fresh arugula, peas, avocado, crispy prosciutto and shaved parmesan cheese

Health Bonus: arugula is a super healthy leafy dark green vegetable full of antioxidants that may help prevent cancer not to mention a source of calcium.

Salad Nicoise for a pic nic: In small mason jars prepare individual salads to take to the beach for dinner.  Start with Romaine lettuce, 1 new potato diced, then blanched green beans cut into 1 inch pieces, cherry tomato halves, tinned flaked tuna, pitted olives and capers, ½ a hardboiled egg and 1 anchovy to top it off.  Take the dressing separately to the beach and add it just before eating.

Health Bonus: Tuna is a low calorie, low saturated fat, convenient and economical protein food that will provide the anchor your energy needs to get you through the day

Succotash salad with edamame: use up leftover corn on the cob with this easy salad.  Cut corn off the cob, cherry tomato halves, edamame out of the pod, diced sweet white or wala wala onion and green beans.  You can even add red peppers if you like.

Health Bonus: edemame (soybeans) are a good source of protein and polyunsaturated  fats.  25g of soy protein per day may help lower LDL cholesterol.

Moroccan Quinoa Salad: use leftover cooked quinoa, add cherry tomato halves, chopped kalamata olives, raisins, roughly chopped almonds, chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper.  For extra protein add cooked chicken pieces or navy beans.

Health Bonus: Quinoa is one of the highest protein whole grains there are.  It is also a great source of fibre and antioxidants.

Papaya avocado salad with Shrimp: Fresh romaine lettuce, chunks of avocado and strawberry papaya, sliced purple onion and cooked jumbo shrimp.  Make a sweet oil and vinegar dressing and grind up 1 Tbsp of the papaya seeds into the dressing.

Health Bonus: Avocado is a great way to increase your monounsaturated fat intake and improve heart health.

Salad Dressing Tips: Consider making dressings with 50/50 oil to vinegar rather than more oil than vinegar to help keep the calories down.  Consider adding different oils such as sesame oil in Thai salads or walnut oil in French salads.  Rice wine vinegar is a sweeter vinegar with a mild taste whereas balsamic vinegar is more acidic.  Try adding lime or lemon juice, Dijon mustard, a touch of sugar and fresh herbs or garlic for added flavour and interest.  Be creative and explore your options!