The Go-To Meal for Summer

Try 12 varieties of this delicious, versatile, nutritious, no-cook fast food.

- MELISSA DIANE SMITH

Do you have a favorite meal that you rely on— something that is quick to fix, requires little effort, is healthy, and tastes good?

Particularly during the hot summer season, my go-to meal is, without a doubt, a main-course salad. It’s so simple to fix that I encourage you to make it your staple meal too.

I’m not talking about a boring bowl of iceberg lettuce with dressing poured on it. Instead, you can quickly combine assorted greens, chopped vegetables, cooked meat or seafood pieces, cheese, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and dressing in an almost endless variety of tasty mixtures. Plus, you can have fun doing it—and create a well-balanced meal at a fraction of the price of buying a take-out or restaurant salad! If you plan ahead by having meat or fish leftovers or by buying appropriate ready-to-use ingredients for the type of salad you want to make, you can often prepare the salad in as little as 5 minutes.

A main-dish salad is fast food that doesn’t require any cooking. It’s also healthy food that provides a nice mix of slow-burning carbs, protein, and fat that promotes steady blood sugar and energy levels. When you change up items from different food groups, each combination of ingredients provides a wide array of vitamins and minerals that promote health.