Use this list of healthy items to perk up your salads and enliven your meals.
Go wild with lettuce. Although iceberg lettuce is making a comeback in some fashionable restaurants, don't rely on that old standby alone. Add raddichio, romaine, kale or spinach leaves to your salad to increase fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Raw broccoli adds crunch and powerful phytochemicals, nutrients found only in plants, to your salad. Try packaged broccoli slaw for a different texture.
Onions add spice and depth to salads. Choose from scallions, red onions or even leeks for a flavor and health boost.
Radishes add zest, potassium, and vitamin C. Include white, red and even pink varieties for a splash of color.
Cherry tomatoes are perfect in a salad and a good source of phytochemicals.
Mushrooms are becoming more popular by the day, adding an earthy taste and texture as well as minerals to salads.
Shredded cabbage may sound like an old favorite to you, but have you tried bok choy or other new cabbage varieties? Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, important in cancer prevention.
Herbs are a great new addition to salad ingredients. If you have an herb garden, pick whatever is green and leafy and toss it in your salad.
Shredded carrots are the perfect way to add a depth of color and essential beta-carotene to your salad.
Jicama adds crunch and fiber with a delicious flavor.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.