Editor's note: This article is written by my buddy Harry who is also the world's greatest salad eater! ;)

Everyone knows that salad is an important component in a diet. For that particular reason fast food outlets worldwide have salads on their meals so as to make it more nutritious. Nevertheless, salads need to be lightly dressed for us to benefit the most. This does not apply only to salads, but to every dish we eat as healthy fats, even in small portion, promotes the absorption of nutrients and important vitamins.

6 Virtues of Salads are:

   1. They contain fibre which allows good absorption of nutrients during digestion.

   2. They consist of important vitamins like vitamin A (prevent night blindness), C, E, B6 and folic acid which help to improve the immune system, decrease obesity, heart disease and chronic illness.

   3. They possess the capacity to retain water in the undigested food, thus preventing constipation.

   4. They are bulky hence filling our stomach, helping us from overeating.

   5. They contain antioxidants which help us to maintain health and prevent diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

   6. An excess of salad will in most case do you no harm concerning weight and health.

So the best way to consume a salad is to prepare a dressing which contains a minimum of good fat.

A good and healthy dressing consists of:

    * Oil : The healthiest oil include extra-virgin olive oil or flax seed oil as they contain the good fat known as HDL and in omega3 oils

    * Vinegar or fresh lemon juice(rich source of vitamin C)

    * Slices of fresh tomato

    * Thin slices of onion

    * Dijon mustard (optional)

    * Salt and black pepper to taste

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Tips to make the most of your salad

   1. Vitamins C are water soluble vitamins. Always wash your salad before cutting or shredding.

   2. Almost all vitamins are not heat resistant. Keep your salad in a cool place and never wash with warm water.

   3. Adding caspium to your salad is a good idea as they are very rich in vitamin C.

   4. Prepare your dressing separately as dressing the salad beforehand tend to dehydrate the salad because of the presence of salt.

   5. Never keep your salad for too long in the fridge because they tend to lose most of their nutrients.

Easy, healthy and quick to prepare salads

Chicken salad

Ingredients (for 2-4 persons)

    * 1/4 of a medium size cabbage finely
    * 1 medium lettuce finely chopped
    * 2 onions chopped in small cubes
    * 1 chopped caspium
    * 250-300g roasted chicken shredded in small pieces
    * 2 tsp Olive oil
    * 1 tbs vinegar or lemon juice
    * Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

   1. In a large bowl add the olive oil, vinegar and pepper and mix uniformly.

   2. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

   3. Add the salt before serving.

NOTE: Remember to wash the vegetables before cutting and not after as else they will lose a non-negligible portion of their water soluble vitamins.

Tinned tuna salad

Ingredients (for 2-4 persons)

    * 1 medium lettuce finely chopped
    * 1 small size chopped tomato
    * 2 onions chopped in small cubes
    * 1 chopped caspium
    * 1 small tin of whole maize
    * 200g tinned tuna (2 small tins)
    * 2 tsp olive oil
    * 1 tbs vinegar or lemon juice
    * Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

   1. In a large bowl add the olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice and pepper and mix uniformly.

   2. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

   3. Add the salt before serving.

Just one salad a day can help increase your longevity and help you become robust and healthy. But eating salad is not enough as each and every ingredient of the dressing is as important as the other. Always keep in mind that a few more dollars for a good salad do your health more good and is worth much more than eating a raw or overdressed ready-made salad.