Optimal - The Blog
June 18, 2026
Create a nutritious Super Salad by combining dark leafy greens, colorful vegetables, fruits, nuts, and proteins for a balanced, healthy meal. Discover simple tips for a vibrant diet.
We talk a lot about what a healthy diet is, but sometimes it's hard to envision what it looks like. One of the simplest ways to incorporate the healthiest foods into our diets is to build a Super Salad.
A Super Salad starts with
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A few handfuls of dark leafy greens, then add a few handfuls of colorful vegetables such as radishes. carrots, or colorful peppers for starters.
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You can add healthy white vegetables as well, especially onions
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Add fresh basil or other fresh herbs for color, fragrance, and taste.
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Then add nuts or seeds... try walnuts or pumpkin seeds for starters.
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Add some more color with fresh fruit; clementines, grapes, or berries work well.
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Add a small handful of olives; they are actually fruits but are also a healthy source of fat!
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You can add some parmesan "croutons" for crunch too.
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Top it all off with a handful of concentrated protein such as salmon, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, or goat cheese. You can use a vegetarian source of protein as well; chickpeas or quinoa work nicely.
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Try your own healthy dressing with extra-virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, red wine or balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, herbs, and spices.
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And finally, to make a complete meal, add a side of healthy complex carbohydrate... such as a baked sweet potato or wild rice.
So, THAT's what a healthy diet can look like!
Build Your Own Super Salad
The Super Salad
