Big bad salad

A shop-bought salad in the UK was recently found to contain more fat and calories than a Big Mac. Is it possible that we're getting so carried away with salads that they're now more unhealthy than the big fast food chains?

Here, we go back to basics and discover the best (and yummiest) salads.

The best salad items

Most salad items are good for you, but here’s the pick of the bunch:

• Spinach – great for eyesight and helps slow down the ageing process
• Avocado – contain oleic acid, unsaturated fat that helps lower cholesterol
• Cucumber – they are mainly water but also contain ascorbic acid which is great for skin irritations. Also rich in fibre
• Capsicums – help fight diabetes, joint problems and asthma
• Fennel – these have an anti-inflammatory effect and also help protect your liver

  Check out our 6 ways with salad slideshow here!

  Grow your own!

  It's easy to grow your own salad items – it's organic and cuts the cost of groceries too! In Australia, the easiest vegetables to grow are radishes, lettuce, cress, potatoes and zucchini. You can pick up seeds, pots and soil for relatively cheap prices.

  Five salad secrets

  Bung these taste explosions in your salad for a tasty transformation:

  1. Marinated peppers – hold red capsicum over naked flame with tongs until burned all over, then wrap in foil for 15 mins. Remove and peel skin and chop into strips. Throw into jar with chopped parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover with olive oil and leave to marinade in fridge overnight.
  2. Wild mushrooms – roughly chop wild mushrooms (ceps, chanterelle, oyster, porcini, trompette, shitaki, morel) and sauté in olive oil, garlic and thyme for ten minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice
  3. Grilled haloumi – griddle for five minutes on each side and sprinkle with chives
  4. Chilli oil – heat cheap olive oil and dried chilli flakes together for 20 minutes without boiling. Pour into bottle and chill for a few hours
  5. Pine nuts – toast in a dry frying pan with cumin, mustard and coriander seeds until brown and aromatic

  Winter warmers

  They're not just for summer – here are our fave winter salads to thaw your icy jaws:

• Roast pork salad with stuffing croutons and warm apple dressing
  Shred cold roast pork and mix with cos, avocado and cucumber. In a bowl, mix 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup chopped parsley, sage and thyme, 1 egg and roll into small balls. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes or until golden and throw into salad. In a pan, fry 1 crushed clove garlic and 1 eschalot until soft. Add 2 peeled and sliced apples, 2tbsp soft brown sugar and 1tbsp cider vinegar. Season and simmer for 2 mins and stir through salad.

• Moroccan lamb and couscous salad with mint yoghurt dressing
  Follow instructions on couscous, only adding a stock cube to boiling water. When fluffy, stir through a pinch of cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Add cherry tomatoes and zucchini. In a pan, sauté ½ onion and 1 clove garlic and add a pinch cumin and coriander seeds. Stir through lamb and add to couscous. Serve on a bed of spinach and drizzle with mixture of chopped mint, natural yoghurt and grated cucumber.

• Firecracker prawn bruschetta salad
  In a pan, sauté 1 large, deseeded red chilli and 1 chopped clove garlic in olive oil. Throw in 6 large prawns, season and sizzle until cooked through. Now grill two slices of stale baguette and lay on plate. Top with fresh rocket leaves, the prawn mixture and drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil.

  YOUR SAY: How do you keep salads as healthy and low in calories as possible, without compromising the taste? Tell us below!