Real Life of an MSW

I try to eat a big salad every day, usually for lunch, but sometimes for dinner. For me, it’s an easy way to get enough vegetables in a way I enjoy. But when the weather gets cold, I can get bored of my usual salads. How can I keep this habit going through the winter and still be satisfied? – greens

I love a big salad, too, and know that those refreshing, crisp spring-and-summer salads can hit different in the cold months, when we tend to crave something that feels more substantial.Swapping out tender lettuces for heartier dark leafy greens — kale, baby Swiss chard, spinach, shredded cabbage — can feel more cold-weather worthy. So can incorporating fall fruits (apples and pears and dried cranberries), nuts (especially walnuts and pecans) and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower).

Cooked whole grains that retain some chew — wheat or rye berries, farrow, sorghum, wild rice — can add more substance along with fiber and nutrients. Roasted vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, cubed butternut squash or delicata squash crescents add more fall flavor.

You can also play with different ingredients in your salad dressings. The toasty notes of walnut vinegar are nice in the fall, and I personally lean more toward sherry vinegar in the cool season, or apple cider vinegar if I’m including fruit in my salad. And don’t forget the protein! Play around with leftover roasted chicken, beans or beluga lentils, the tang of feta, goat cheese or blue cheese.