Favorite Salad Toppers

An amazing part about summer has always been the fresh produce from the garden.  Last year we planted 6 strawberry plants as they have grown and expanded, we are excited that we already enjoying some of the fruits of our labor.  As the summer days continue, we will soon be enjoying tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers free of sprays and pesticides and full of flavor.

 

Fun Shapes are Always a Winner for Kids!

With all these healthy goodies growing in the back yard, we have declared Tuesdays and Thursdays "Salad Dinner Days"!  Now I do have to admit, my kids were not exactly excited about this idea so I have to be creative when it comes to them.  The trick is to let them pick what goes on their salads, and also to cut the greens into small pieces.  When they see some of their favorite foods in salad form, it makes dinner time much more enjoyable!

Here are our 12 Favorite Salad Toppers to keep your everyday salad EXCITING and SATISFYING!

1. Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)

2. Grapes or Raisins

3. Citrus (oranges or grapefruit)

4. Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds or Sunflower Seeds

5. Hard boiled eggs

6. Avocado

7. Beans (Black beans, Garbanzo Beans or Kidney Beans)

8. Quinoa

9. Organic Chicken or Turkey

10. Wild caught Salmon or Tuna

11. Salsa

12. Hummus

Now I have to admit, when I was younger, the only way I would touch a salad was to soak it in my favorite dressing.  This kind of defeated the purpose of a healthy salad.  But now, after adding some toppings that I never would of thought to put in a salad, I notice that I can eat them with either no dressing, or with a much healthier homemade dressing.  Here is the salad dressing that I prefer to use:

Bonus Dressing

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin
cracked black pepper (to taste)

pinch of sea salt

1 fresh lemon squeezed

Whisk all ingredients together for delicious and super simple dressing.

What is your favorite Salad Topper?