6 easy steps to the perfect salad
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With lockdown and self-isolation, it’s all too easy to order Deliveroo instead of making nutritious, balanced meal. Isolation weight gain is real! But you can kick-start your health without too much effort: eat salad.
We’re not talking limp lettuce and a couple of squishy tomatoes. A good salad is a perfect balance of crisp, fresh ingredients, muscle-repairing protein, energy-giving carbs and a dressing that ties everything together.
Plus, taking the time to plate it up beautifully is soothing and aesthetically pleasing – and great IG feed fodder!
Here’s our guide to building a perfect summer salad. Whether you plate it or make a Buddha bowl is up to you. Just enjoy the building process, and feel proud that you’re taking care of your body.
1 Start with the leaves
Leafy greens are incredibly nutritious. They’re packed with vitamins A, C and K, tend to contain minerals like potassium and magnesium, and the darker green leaves are often high in calcium.
What’s more, greens are high in fibre, to help you ... “go” regularly.*
Choose something hardy like spinach, romaine, cabbage or kale if you want the leaves to act as a structural foundation for your salad; for something more delicate, try rocket or watercress. (And don’t knock the humble butter or iceberg lettuce! They’re delicious, too!)
2 Add colour!
This is the really fun part. By adding a range of veg to your dish, you can create a work of art on your plate.
You can use fresh vegetables – baby bell peppers, sliced cucumbers, raw broccoli, shaved carrots, cherry tomatoes, avocado. OK, we know the last two are fruit, but these also work well in salads: try a handful of your favourite berries, a sliced apple or peach, citrus segments, chunks of pineapple, or dried fruit.