Eating a salad with a meal is one of the best ways to get good food into you, as the combination of fresh greens and raw vegetables retains all of the food’s goodness. However, it is clear that many people just put up with a salad because they know it is good for them, and don’t actually enjoy it.

But there are many ways you can make a salad interesting and ensure that you aren’t just eating it out of obligation, but actually because it tickles your taste buds in all the right ways, leaving you satisfied and healthy.

Get Creative With Your Salads

There are many theories on what makes a good salad. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver even designed a chart so you can mix and match elements in order to create a comprehensive and delicious salad. This involves picking different types of lettuce, raw vegetables, cheeses and toppings such as croutons or seeds. Of course, you don’t have to have one from each category, but a general rule of four ingredients will ensure a nice salad that’s not too cluttered.

Adding cheese such as parmesan or goat’s cheese can give it a nice kick, and even adding some toasted pine nuts, olives, kidney beans or maybe even fruit (withing reason!) will give you a new taste experience, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Try Some Classic Salads

There are a number of classic salads that you will find on the menu at every nice restaurant, and these are classics for a reason: they combine ingredients in a way that works very well. Perhaps most famous is the Caesar salad, which comprises romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan, lemon juice, egg and Worcestershire sauce, but there are many others, such as the Cobb salad (chopped leaves, tomato, bacon, chicken breast, egg, avocado, Roquefort cheese and red wine vinaigrette) and Waldorf salad (chopped apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise). These can all be easily made at home, so give them a try and see how interesting salads can be.