You will love this recipe for the best green salad ever, it requires a little time for preparation but when it’s finish you will be salivating uncontrollably. Below is the list of ingredients you will need to prepare this scrumptious salad, and no meat or starch is necessary.

Grocery List:

Live Butter Lettuce, Fresh Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Kale, Red Onions, Carrots, Pecans, Cranberries, Green Apples, Fuji Apples, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Black Pepper, Avocado and preferably a Vinaigrette, but of course the dressing can be your choosing.

Wash and drain the necessary items and set aside. Chop the onions, carrots, apples, cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower. Mix items together with a small amount of the dressing, and top with the avocados and pecans. If you like you can eat with whole grain crackers, and a tall glass of sun tea with lemon.

Benefits of Eating Salad

9 Good Reasons to Eat a Salad a Day

• Salad Helps Keeps Disease and Aging at Bay
• Natural Source of Fiber
• Nutritional Benefits of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
• More Salads Aid In Weight Control
• Daily Salads  Can Help Aid In Your Intake of Healthy Fats
• Helps Build Strong Bones
• Protects Your Eyesight
• Improves Muscle Performance

This salad is so refreshing, so whether you’re looking to lose some unwanted weight, improve your nutrition or simply adopt a healthier lifestyle, salads can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Although they seem innocent, salads can quickly turn harmful when they’re topped with the wrong dressings and packed with fatty, high-calorie mix-ins. But if you make smart choices, you can build a healthy salad that’s not only tasty but healthy.

Glorious Greens

The leafy greens do more than just lay a foundation for your remaining mix-ins. As a matter of fact, leafy greens pack a powerful punch of nutrients. Each type of leafy green can offer a variety of health benefits. They are all low in calories and packed with plenty of fiber-which means you’ll be fuller with fewer calories. Fiber is beneficial to your digestive system. Dark green lettuce, kale and spinach are all packed with vitamins A, C, E and K, while bok choy and mustard greens also provide many of the B vitamins. This combination of vitamins help supports the immune system,it protects bones and help keeps the cardiovascular system healthier. Unfortunately, light-colored leafy greens like iceberg lettuce don’t provide much nutrition – but are still filling with fewer calories.

Nutritious Vegetables

Many vegetables have just 25 calories per 1/2-cup serving and are packed with vitamins and minerals. Since the vegetables color often indicates its health benefits, aim for a rainbow of colors on your salad. Green vegetables, like broccoli promote eye health and may protect against cancer. The antioxidant lycopene, reduces the risk of heart disease, is found in red vegetables like tomatoes, radishes and bell peppers. You can get a healthy dose of immune-boosting vitamin C with yellow vegetables like squash and yellow peppers. Sweet potatoes, carrots and other orange vegetables provide beta carotene, that can benefit the immune system, eyesight and skin. For sweeter salad toppings, choose blueberries; they’re packed with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer compounds. Purple vegetables like eggplant and purple onion fight the effects of aging. White vegetables like jicama, mushrooms, onion and cauliflower will protect against cancer and heart disease.

Muscle-Building Proteins

If your salad is the main course for your meal, don’t forget the protein. Protein provides amino acids, the building blocks for your body’s bones, muscles and cartilage. It’s also vital for the synthesis of enzymes and hormones. Skinless chicken or turkey breast, chunk light tuna or salmon are great source. Vegetarians can stick with beans, legumes or egg whites to add a protein, avocados or boiled eggs can assist in giving you the protein that is needed.

Healthy Fats

A little bit of healthy fat helps your body absorb the nutrients in your salad. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should soak your salad with creamy, fat-laden dressings. Instead, choose a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of olives, sunflower seeds, almonds or walnuts. For a creamier dressing, mash an avocado with a bit of olive oil. In addition to helping you absorb the veggies’ nutrients, healthy fats also provide vitamin E and selenium, help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Any salad dressing you use, is okay for the most part. Minimize how much you use and be sure to get the best possible healthy one you can find and afford. ENJOY!