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Cause a Stir with these Sensational Salads

Fill Your Plate

04.28.2014

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Don't settle for a boring salad by having one of these delicious salads using fresh Arizona produce! (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com) — Don’t settle for a boring salad! Try one of these delicious salads using fresh Arizona produce! (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

Gone are the days when your salad was made of some sad, wilted lettuce, a couple cucumber rings, and a handful of other random veggies. Today’s salads feature everything from fantastic fresh fruit to a variety of power-packed proteins. Salads have been transformed in recent years, throwing off their reputation as the go to for the “girls on a diet” set and making their way onto the plates of people across Arizona and around the country.

Since May is National Salad Month let’s stir things up and use some sensational salads made with Arizona-grown produce to stretch the family food dollar and fill our bowls with seasonal fruits and veggies.

Here are some super salad tips and fantastic recipes featuring fresh Arizona grown ingredients.

Swap the iceberg or romaine for some peppery arugula, hearty kale, or tender baby spinach
Seek out seasonal ingredients like arugula, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, and tomatoes
Punch up your protein intake by including some Arizona-raised chicken, steak, pork, or eggs on top of your salad
Don’t put dressing on your salad until you are just about to eat it and keep your greens from limping out before you eat them
Don’t put the dressing on your salad at all, instead, serve it on the side and dip each bite into the dressing – you will end up eating less dressing overall which means less calories and fat
Stick to simple dressing, like olive oil and lemon juice, and let the flavors of the fresh foods be the star of the show
To keep a pre-made salad from going soft, put the chopped veggies in first and the greens on top
Use nuts to pump up the protein, add some healthy fat, and give your salad a little texture and crunch
Skip the dressing and add a flavorful cheese instead

Celebrate National Salad Month by trying a handful of new salad recipes that feature fresh Arizona ingredients. Here are some of our favorites for you to try.