In case youre not a salad lover, let me be one of the first to tell you that youre missing one of the most delicious foods a person can consume. Salads come in all sorts of styles, combinations, and are served with so many various toppings, that you could probably find a different salad for every day of the month.

One of my most favorite choices in dining is to go to the local buffet (they have a fabulous salad bar) and eat till my heart is content of the salad choices offered.

If youre going to build a great salad, you have to start with a great lettuce. There are more types of lettuce than automobiles, but my personal preference is iceberg and romaine. Once you have the proper foundation, your salad is a breeze. All sorts of toppings can be added, to build the gourmet salad. Fit for even the most discriminating taste. Usually you find onions, tomatoes, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, banana pepper, ham, eggs, turkey, and cheese. Mushrooms, olives, pickled okra, bacon bits, and macaroni salad. Pepperoni, salami, croutons, and crackers. Cottage cheese, three bean salad, broccoli and cauliflower. If at this point, you havent already filled the plate too full, you might want to consider simply adding another.

Now we approach the salad dressings. There are so many choices here, that it is often quite difficult for me to choose. I love blue cheese and ranch. I also love balsamic vinaigrette and Italian. Catalina is another favorite of mine.

Alright, weve built the perfect salad. Now would you like to hear about the wonderful health benefits of a salad? You might have to seek a little further than this article. The dismal truth here, is that although you would like to believe all that wonderful produce has provided you with the healthy eating award of the week, it simply is not so. Salads can be as high in calorie and fat content as a cheeseburger from the local McDonalds. Thats quite disheartening news isnt it?

How can you eat a salad and still eat healthy? Lay off the cheeses, the meats, the cream based salad dressings. Stick to the pickled, the fresh produce, and the vinegar based dressings. Then you will have provided yourself with a wonderfully nutritious and healthful meal.

It is interesting to note here, that although the salad of your dreams may not be quite a healthful as you first thought, it is still a much better alternative than some of the other lunch options. For instance, pizza and pasta are worse than cheeseburgers for calorie content, and much higher in fat. The salad wont leave you feeling sluggish and sleepy as the cheeseburger would have done, thanks in part to the many vegetables you consumed along with the fat and calories.

So, go ahead, look forward to that next wonderful salad, and maybe dont pat yourself on the back quite so quick for your healthy choice, but you can be satisfied that you made a better choice than many of your peers.