I have tried countless salad recipes and could just never get myself to love salads When I was younger, I would load up my obligatory dinner salad with ranch dressing just to choke it down and make my parents happy and in my early twenties I avoided all things green.

Now that I’m in my 30’s it’s a different story because of one simple change. I’ve found the magic key to making the perfect salad every single time and there are just 5 simple ingredients.

The 5 ingredients are actually categories rather than specific ingredients. The perfect salad recipe contains greens, cheese, fruit, nuts/seeds, and dressing. Pick one item from each category and toss them together in a bowl for the perfect salad every time!

The categories below are by no means complete. They are simply suggestions to get you started. This salad recipe is limited only by your imagination!

Mix n Match Salad Recipe

1. Greens

Kale
Spinach
Brussels sprouts
Baby greens
Romaine lettuce
Arugula

2. Cheese

Grated Parmesan cheese
Blue cheese
Feta cheese
Goat cheese

3. Fruit

Raisins
Goji berries
Dried blueberries
Dried cranberries
Fresh apples
Fresh pears
Grapes

Note: make sure that your dried fruit doesn’t have any added sugar

4. Nuts/Seeds

Pecan
Walnut
Sunflower
Slivered almonds
Pine nuts

5. Dressing

Once you have your base salad, you can also add in extras like additional veggies or even meat to make a complete meal.

Extras

Carrots
Radishes
Cucumber
Corn
Beets
Red onion
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Cubed chicken
Sweet peppers
Avocado
Flaked tuna
Flaked salmon
White beans
Quinoa

Pamela’s Favorite Mix

Here is my absolute favorite version of this salad recipe:

Kale
Parmesan cheese
Raisins
Pecans
Homemade oil/vinegar dressing

Holy yum! I could eat this all day, every day! Plus, as an added bonus, the kale won’t wilt from the dressing if I assemble this salad in the morning and take it to work for lunch.

About
Latest Posts

Pamela Bruesehoff

Hi! I'm Pamela and I run Gym Free Fitness. Your one stop for real information. No bro science and no faux science. Just real healthy information.

Latest posts by Pamela Bruesehoff (see all)

28 Days of Healthy Habits: Week 4 - February 24, 2015
6 Ways Fad Diets Can Harm You and How to Spot Them - February 23, 2015
A Guide To The Mental Benefits Of Running - January 12, 2015