Creating Salads Without Lettuce

Certainly a tossed green salad is a "go to" in most households when creating a meal.  It just about goes with everything adding that crunch, zing and beautiful color to the plate.  But, I say, don't just think of salad with greens. Yes, greens are one of the most nutritious vegetables and packed with antioxidants (listed here), but consuming a variety of vegetables is important. Expand the mindset, change it up and create a raw salad without our dear greens.  At least once in a while.

Here are four salads you can make that do not feature lettuce of any kind but are so tasty and just as quick (maybe even quicker), provide loads of nutrition and add a bit of variety to your menu plans. Expensive food processors or mandolins are not necessary for these raw salads. However, they do require one of two inexpensive tools I bet you already have: a box grater and/or a vegetable peeler. Make sure to click on the green links for more information on a particular ingredient.

The Multi-Tasking Box Grater

But, first a word about box graters.  They are not just for cole slaw and cheese. Those razor sharp holes are ideal for turning an array of vegetables into even pieces that take on any dressing with ease.

Here is a video showing why this dietitian thinks her box grater is one of her favorite kitchen tools and the many ways she uses it: