You’re hungry and you know there’s something you’re craving. Why not try a salad?

You run to the fridge, open the vegetable crisper only, to find the lettuce you bought 2 days ago is brown and mushy.

It happens more often than not. Here are a few storage tips to make sure you have crisp, fresh lettuce when that craving strikes.

Lettuce is not cheap. When it’s not stored correctly, we find ourselves tossing it in the trash more often then we care to admit. Lettuce can be purchased in a bag or by the head. Either way, if not stored properly lettuce can, and will, go bad in a very little amount of time.

One way to preserve your lettuce until salad time is to buy a fresh head of lettuce. Lettuce that is in a sealed bag can turn brown faster. It has already been handled, chopped or cut by a metal object and then sealed in the bag. Often times when a bag of lettuce is purchased you can already see the edges beginning to brown before it’s even made it off the shelf.

Grocery stores mist their vegetables to keep them hydrated. Of course we can’t do this at home and when it comes to lettuce you are better off if it’s stored dry. Always rinse lettuce before storing, but use a paper towel to dry the lettuce leaves before placing them in the proper container.

Dressings can also be unhealthy when it comes to a salad. When measuring salad dressing we look at a 2 tablespoon serving. Many of the full salad dressings when measured this way have as much as 11 grams of fat. This is a lot when you really think about it.

Unfortunately we love our salad dressing and the more there is the happier we are. So how do you cut back on those unwanted fat calories? Try using a fat free or low calorie salad dressing. Many of our favorite flavors now come in these healthier versions.

Yes many of the low calorie dressing just don’t taste the same as our high fat favorites. If you find yourself shying away from the dressings that are better for you because of the taste try this. Instead of covering that salad with the dressing, put it in a small cup. When you take a bite of your salad dip it into the dressing cup before eating it. This will help to control the amount of dressing you consume.

Remember, if you want a healthy salad you must pay attention to the ingredients you place in it. With a watchful eye and a little self control you can have a healthy salad that tastes great too.

Almost everyone loves a salad. All that lettuce and those favored toppings, makes your mouth water just thinking about it doesn’t it? Yet many of us ask ourselves if the salads we’re eating really are as healthy as we think.

First you have the lettuce. Lettuce is healthy but doesn’t have much of a taste. Therefore we add all those wonderful extras to give our salad the taste we savor. Things such as vegetables, seeds and even fruit give us taste and still benefit the healthy factor of our salad.

So what makes a salad not so healthy? Ever take a close look at a salad bar? What a mouthwatering experience. Yet many of the items on the bar are not so healthy. No one would blame you for adding these delectable little treats. If you want to keep that salad a healthy part of your diet you need to look at some of those tasty items a little closer though.

Fruits and vegetables are a healthy part of a salad. Things such as bacon bits and croutons can be the downfall. Real bacon bits add fat to a salad. Eat them sparingly and you will be fine but add too many and those unhealthy calories will start to add up.

What You Need:

3 T butter, room temperature

2 T sugar

1 1/2 t cinnamon, divided

1/2 t red pepper, divided

4 slices whole wheat bread, remove the crust

1/2 C canola oil

2 green onions, chopped fine

½ C raisins

1/4 C apple cider

2 T apple cider vinegar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 (10 oz) salad greens

1 pear, cored and sliced thin

1 apple, cored and sliced thin

4 pieces of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1/4 C walnuts, toasted

1/4 C Swiss cheese, shredded

How to Cook It:

Place the oven temperature on 400 degrees and allow it to heat while preparing the croutons.

Place the butter in a mixing bowl.

Add the sugar, 1 t of cinnamon and 1/4 t of the red pepper.

Mix together until well blended.

Spread the slices of bread with the mixture.

Place the bread of a baking sheet and bake 8 minutes turning once or until the bread is toasted to your liking.

Remove the toasted bread and allow it to cool to room temperature then cut into bite size pieces.

Place the oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the green onions and stirring occasionally cook 3 minutes or until tender.

Put the raisins in the skillet and stir to incorporate with the onions.

Pour in the apple cider and vinegar.

Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, the remaining cinnamon and the remaining red pepper.

Stir until all the ingredients are combined and cook until heated through about 5 minutes.

Place the salad greens into a large salad bowl.

Add the sliced pears and apples and toss to combine.

Pour the warm dressing over the salad and toss to cover the salad well.

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon, walnuts, cheese and croutons over the top just before serving.

Serving Size:  4

This is a warm and loving salad that you can serve your family any time. You can use grapes cut in half instead of the raisins just add them in with the pears and apples. The walnuts can also be replaced with pecans or almonds if you prefer.