This fall salad chart will help you build salads that actually work as a meal. One that has carbohydrates and fiber from whole grains and fresh fruit; protein from chicken, shrimp, tofu, beans, or lentils; fat from nuts, seeds, or cheese and dressing; and volume and fiber from greens. It’s a great cheat sheet to help you build meals that will keep you full and satiated for several hours, which is the goal. It will also help you build a salad that has everything you want a salad to have—texture, flavor, and balance. Give the salads listed below a try, then use the top row of the chart to build your own.

A note on dressings:

Homemade dressings are delicious and contrary to popular belief, they’re super simple and easy to make. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Apple cider vin: apple cider vinegar + evoo + kosher salt

• Honey balsamic: honey + balsamic vinegar + evoo + kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper

• Champagne vin: minced shallot + champagne vinegar + evoo + kosher salt (white wine vinegar can be used in place of champagne vinegar)

• Lemon vin: lemon juice + evoo + kosher salt

Here’s an example of the market salad above

photo for Weeknight Dinners by Melissa Peterson

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This post was written by Kelly Powers, MA, RDN. Kelly is a Registered Dietitian and Culinary Nutritionist who takes a holistic approach to nutrition and health. She’s a recipe developer with a food blog highlighting whole foods, simple recipes, and her life in San Francisco. Kelly is the creator of Weeknight Dinners, a weekly meal plan program that helps people get back in the kitchen and feed themselves well. Kelly specializes in meal planning, the Mediterranean diet, and sustainable behavior change, helping her clients reach their health goals while improving their relationship with food. She’s also a nutrition consultant for health and tech startups, food companies, and brands she believes in.