Melanie Ng Farmer’s market season is starting up and summer fruits and veggies are coming into season! We’re counting down five of our favorite salads perfect for those Southern summer days out on the porch. They are fresh, crunchy, and oh-so-tasty. Each recipe comes with its own salad dressing so that you are in control of the sodium and sugar–you will never have to buy salad dressing again! Let’s dig in!
5. Green Salad with Pineapple
Sweet and savory, this salad can be made year-round with the help of canned pineapple chunks. It is easy to swap the pineapples for your favorite fruit instead–blueberries, melons, or peaches would be delicious!
4. Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad
Looking for a way to use up some of the summer harvest? We love how this Mediterranean-inspired dish highlights the delicious flavors of the vegetables with an extra boost of flavor from the feta cheese.
3. Harvest Kale Salad
With ingredients like kale, apple, and turkey bacon, this salad is a hit at any get-together! Never tried kale? It is a dark leafy green that looks like a curly version of collards and tastes a little like raw broccoli. Try it next time you see it at the market!
2. Fresh Corn Salad
This recipe is sure to deliver that juicy taste of summer. Corn straight off the cob gets an upgrade when mixed with other summer veggies and a tangy dressing! It won’t be long before this recipe becomes a family favorite!
1. Spinach and Romaine Salad with Strawberries and Poppyseed Dressing
We can’t get over how beautiful this salad is! Ask your family to help cut up the lettuce, hull the strawberries (stick a straw through the bottom of the berry and push out the top!), and shake up the dressing. Family outing idea: Find a U-Pick strawberry farm near you and return home with a bucket of fresh berries!
Did you know…
- Dark leafy greens like kale and spinach are full of vitamins and minerals that keep us healthy! Most contain vitamin K, which helps to protect our bones, and others contain folic acid, which helps with heart health and avoiding birth defects. Leafy greens even contain antioxidants that protect against some cancers!1
- Leafy greens are naturally low in calories but high in fiber! Fiber is important for digestive health and keeps us fuller for longer.1
- Fresh greens are delicious, but frozen and canned versions are just as good for you–just watch for the sodium content of canned veggies and choose options canned in water or labeled “low-sodium.”2,3
- Store unwashed lettuce in a bag up to 10 days in the fridge. Rinse and dry romaine lettuce thoroughly on paper towels. Once dried, refrigerate in a plastic bag for use within 3-5 days.4
Looking for ways to double your SNAP dollars in Georgia?
Wholesome Wave Georgia supports an active Fresh for Less program at farmers markets across the state. Check out this website and scroll down to the map to find out which farmers markets near you will double your SNAP dollars!
Written by Melanie Ng, MS/DI student | Edited by Laurel Sanville, MS, RD, LD
Resources:
Original photo source: FoodTalk.org and Athens Farmers Market
2: USDA SNAP-Ed Choose your Veggies Handout
3: FoodTalk.org’s Fresh and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables post