By: Simone Castello

Are you looking for ways to keep cool over the warm summer months? We can do you one better – here’s 4 easy salad-based recipes that will not only help you beat the heat, but are also good for your overall health.

Tasty Tomato Salad

This is possibly the easiest salad recipe out there and you don’t need to be an ace chef to master it. Folks, this is as simple as it gets.

Options:
Tomatoes (Vine, Hot House, Plum, Cherry… whatever suits you)
Pepper
Salt to taste
Nuts (according to taste)

Simply chop or dice the tomatoes (you can slice them too, but you won’t be able to mix them well), add them to a bowl, sprinkle some pepper and salt on top, throw in a handful of nuts and mix. See, simple enough, right?

Mixed Veggie Salad

A classic and delicious alternative to a heavy meal. Doctors suggest downing a mixed vegetable salad during your lunch hour. They can be quite filling and are sure to sustain you right through to dinner.

Options:
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Sugar or Snow Peas
Broccoli
Baby Carrots
Pepper
Salt to taste

As the name suggests, you literally cut all these veggies up, throw them into a bowl and mix. BUT, here’s where you might be tempted to douse the salad in your favourite salad dressing, which contain hundreds of calories. Instead, try using a salad spritzer. They come in a variety of flavours, at just 10 calories a spritz.

Fun Fruit Salad

Delicious and colourful, the fruit salad should be your staple summer treat. With the variety of fruits available over the summer months, you should take advantage of mixing all your favourites together as a global treat for your taste buds.

Options:
Mango
Pear
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Orange
Banana
Berries
Nuts or Granola
Nonfat Yoghurt

Chop, slice or dice your favourite fruits (tropical, seasonal or local) and add them to a bowl. Mix in a handful of nuts or granola and top it off with your favourite flavoured nonfat yoghurt. A delicious treat for your entire body, with many healthy benefits as well!

Fruit and Veggie Salad Medley

Feeling daring? Why not try blending the best of both worlds. Yes, it’s different – but don’t knock it until you try it! Some of the best recipes handed down for generations include favourites from veggies and fruits working together. Try picking tropical fruits such as mangoes and bananas; throw in a few berries, apples and nuts; mix those with some peppers, carrots and celery, and you’ll find yourself with a filling summer medley.

Good Luck & Happy Eats!